HO 


AND  SCHOOL 


FRANCES  PATTON 


4r 


• 

Home    and    School 
Sewing 


BY 

FRANCES    PATTON 

TRAINING  TEACHER,  DEPARTMENT  OF  SEWING  IN 
THE  PHILADELPHIA  NORMAL  SCHOOL 


NEWSON    &    COMPANY 
FIFTEEN    EAST    SEVENTEENTH    STREET,    NEW    YORK 


v 


Copyright,  1901, 
By   FRANCES  PATTON. 

All  rights  reserved. 


PREFACE. 

SEVENTEEN  years  ago  sewing  was  introduced  into  the 
Philadelphia  Public  Schools.  During  these  years  Miss 
Kirby,  Assistant  Superintendent  of  Schools,  has  conducted 
monthly  meetings  of  the  teachers  of  sewing,  in  which  were 
freely  discussed  methods  of  making  and  teaching  the  vari- 
ous seams,  and  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  subject. 

In  order  that  the  best  method  of  instructing  the  children 
in  classes  might  be  secured,  experiments  were  made  and 
reported  upon,  the  teachers  being  encouraged  to  express 
their  difficulties  and  tell  their  successes;  thus  placing  the 
experience  of  the  entire  force  at  the  disposal  of  each 
individual. 

The  lessons  in  this  book  are  mainly  the  outgrowth  of  the 
practical  suggestions  mentioned  above,  tested  and  worked 
out  many  times  by  the  author  in  the  schools  under  her 
charge,  together  with  the  careful  study  of  books  on  the  sub- 
jects treated. 

Special  acknowledgment  is  due  to  Miss  Helen  Fair- 
child  Kinsey  for  the  assistance  she  has  given  in  illustrating 
the  book.  F.  P. 

Philadelphia,  October,  1901. 

260028 


CONTENTS. 


Page 
PREFACE 3 

ILLUSTRATIONS 7 

I.  PREPARATION  FOR  SEWING  :  Cutting— Needles,  Thim- 
bles, and  Thread— To  Thread  a  Needle— To  Make  a 

Knot— To  Learn  the  Use  of  the  Thimble 13 

II.  BASTING  :  Even  Basting— Uneven  Basting— Basting 

Used  in  Dressmaking 20 

III.  HEMMING  :  General  Suggestions— Folding  and  Bast- 

ing of  the  Hem — Measure  or  Gauge  for  a  Wide 
Hem— To  Turn  a  Wide  Hem — Napery  or  French 
Hem — Eolled  Hem— Back  Hemming 24 

IV.  OVERSEAMING 32 

V.  RUNNING  SEAM 35 

VI.  BACKSTITCHING  :  The  Backstitched  Seam— Back- 
stitch and  Three  Running  Stitches — Half  Back- 
stitching  37 

VII.  OVERCASTING 41 

VIII.  FACINGS 43 

IX.  SLIP-STITCHING  :  Milliner's  Hem 45 

X.  THE  FELL  :   French  Fell— English  Fell— Overseam 
and  Fell— German  Hemming  or  German  Fell — 

Reversible  Seam  or  Counter  Hem 48 

XI.  THE  GUSSET  :  Strengthening  Tapes 58 

XII.  THE  PLACKET 63 

XIII.  CORDING  AND  PIPING 65 

XIV.  BINDINGS 67 

XV.  MITRED  CORNERS  :  To  Mitre  the  Corners  of  a  Hem. .  69 

XVI.  CUTTING  AND  PIECING  ON  THE  BIAS  :  To  Cut  a  Bias 

Strip— Bias  Piecing 72 

5 


Contents. 

Page 

XVII.  GATHERING  :  French  or  Dress  Gathering— Gathering 
for  Ruffles,  Frills,  Flounces,  etc.— Gathering  with 
a  Shell  Edge— Shirring— Whipping  a  Ruffle— Sew- 
ing the  Ruffle  to  the  Garment — Plaiting 75 

XVIII.  BANDS  :  Bands  Sewed  by  Backstitching  and  Hem- 
ing— Band  Hemmed  to  the  Gathers — Band  Over- 
seamed  to  the  Gathers 88 

XIX.  DARNING  :  Dress  Darning— Straight  Tear— Angular 
Dress  Darn — Strengthening  Darn — Bias  Darn — 
Stocking- Web  Darn— Stocking  Darning— Filling 

in  the  Darn— Kid  Glove  Mending -. . .     94 

XX.  PATCHING:    Another  Way  of    Patching — Catch- 
Stitched  Patch 107 

XXL  TUCKING 117 

XXII.  FASTENINGS  :      Buttonholes  —  Buttons  —  Loops- 
Hooks  and  Eyes— Eyelet  Holes 120 

XXIII.  DECORATIVE  STITCHES  :  Feather  or  Brier  Stitch— 

Catch-Stitch-  Blanket-Stitch  —  Chain-Stitch— 
Cable-Chain  Stitch— Outline  or  Stem-Stitch— 
Cross-Stitch— Hemstitching— French  Knot  or 
Seeding— A  Fan  of  Stitches 137 

XXIV.  A  LESSON  IN  ECONOMY 152 

XXV.  COLOR  IN  FABRICS 155 

XXVI.  A  CHAPTER  ON  MATERIALS  :  Silk— Varieties  of  Silk 
Cloth— Cotton— Preparing  Cotton  for  the  Mar- 
ket—Cotton Goods— Linen— Linen  Materials — 
Wool— Varieties  of  Wool— The  Principal  Wool- 
en Cloths— Other  Materials  Used  in  Clothing. . .  158 
XXVII.  TOOLS  USED  IN  SEWING  :  Pins— Needles— Scissors- 
Thimbles 179 

6 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Page 

1.  Position  of  scissors  when  cutting 14 

2.  The  inside  and  outside  of  the  crease 15 

3.  Straight  and  true 15 

4.  The  needle  drill 17 

5.  The  needle  and  thimble  in  position. 19 

6.  Even  basting 20 

7.  Uneven  basting 21 

8.  Basting  on  lined  skirts 22 

9.  The  needle  in  position  for  beginning  the  hem 25 

10.  The  hem  partly  done 26 

11.  Joining  the  thread  in  hemming 27 

12.  Napery  or  French  hem 29 

13.  Rolling  and  whipping  the  hem 30 

14.  Back  hemming,  a  stitch  used  in  sewing  on  braids 31 

15.  Proper  position  of  the  work  in  overseaming 33 

16.  Uneven  basting  for  a  running  seam 35 

17.  The  proper  position  of  the  work  in  making  a  running 

seam 36 

18.  Beginning  to  backstitch 37 

19.  Backstitching  partly  done 38 

20.  A  seam  made  with  a  backstitch  and  three  running 

stitches 39 

21.  A  seam  finished  with  overcasting 41 

22.  Slip  or  blind  stitching  with  the  needle  in  position 45 

23.  Milliner's  hem. . . - 47 

24.  The  plain  fell  basted 48 

25.  Sewing  the  first  part  of  plain  fell 49 

26.  Plain  fell  completed 50 

27.  French  fell 52 

7 


Illustrations. 

Page 

28.  English  fell,  showing  the  turning  of  the  edge  and  sew- 

ing of  the  first  part 53 

29.  Overseam  and  fell,  showing  how  the  edges  are  turned  .  55 

30.  Steps  in  preparing  the  gusset 58 

31.  Wrong  side  of  gusset  when  completed 60 

32.  Right  side  of  gusset  when  completed. 60 

33.  Strengthening  tape  ready  to  sew  on  a  garment 61 

34.  Strengthening  tape  sewed  to  a  garment 61 

35.  The  placket 64 

36.  Cording  with  material  extending  to  be  used  as  a  facing.  66 

37.  Material  cut  and  sewed 69 

38.  A  mitred  corner 69 

39.  Mitred  corner  cut  and  ready  for  first  turn  of  hem 70 

40.  Mitred  hem  basted 70 

41.  Material  cut  on  the  bias,  such  as  would  be  required  in 

making  underclothing 73 

42.  Material  folded  on  a  true  bias 73 

43.  Bias  strips  in  position  before  joining 73 

44.  Bias  pieces  sewed  together 74 

45.  Gathering  stitches.   Centre  of  material  marked  by  notch  76 

46.  Gathering  drawn  up  with  pin  in  position 77 

47.  Stroking  the  gathers 78 

48.  French  or  dress  gathers 79 

49.  Gathering  forming  a  shell  edge 82 

50.  Shirring 84 

51.  Overseaming  a  whipped  ruffle  to  a  garment 85 

52.  Plaiting 87 

53.  A  band  cut  with  pieces  extending  for  button  and  but- 

tonhole (to  be  folded  over  on  the  crease) 88 

54.  Gathers  basted  to  band  ready  for  backstitching 89 

55.  Band  completed 90 

56.  Band  basted  to  the  gathers  ready  for  first  hemming. . . .  92 

57.  Band  overseamed  to  French  gathers 93 

58.  Basting  defining  length  and  width  of  darn 95 

59.  Preparation  for  darning  when  material  is  ragged 96 

60.  Dress  darn  (begin  to  darn  at  A) 96 

61.  Corner  of  angular  dress  darn 97 

8 


Illustrations. 

Page 

62.  Strengthening  darn 98 

63.  Darning  a  bias  tear 99 

64.  Stocking- web  darn 100 

65.  Position  of  the  left  hand  in  stocking  darning 102 

66.  First  part  of  the  darn,  showing  the  outline 103 

67.  Weaving  the  darn  (the  shape  of  darn  a  square  on  its 

diagonals) 104 

68.  Weaving  the  darn  (round  in  shape) 105 

69.  Method  of  turning  corners  of  the  patch 108 

70.  Sides  and  corners  of  the  patch  turned 108 

71.  First  basting  of  the  patch 110 

72.  Patch  basted  ready  for  second  hemming Ill 

73.  Calico  patch  properly  matched 112 

74.  Catch-stitched  patch,  right  side 113 

75.  Catch-stitched  patch,  wrong  side 114 

76.  The  wrong  side  of  an  overseamed  patch  with  the  edges 

overcast 115 

77.  Gauge  or  measure  used  in  making  tucks 118 

78.  Showing  the  position  of  the  measure  while  basting  the 

tucks f 119 

79.  Needle  and  thread  in  position  while  making  the  button- 

hole stitch 121 

80.  Buttonhole  scissors  122 

81.  Showing  the  spacing  of  the  buttonholes  on  the  back  of 

the  waist 123 

82.  Buttonhole  strip  in  position 124 

83.  Overcasting  and  barring  the  buttonhole 125 

84.  Buttonhole  completed 127 

85.  Various  methods  of  sewing  on  buttons 128 

86.  Sewing  on  the  button  (position  of  the  pin) 129 

87.  Loops  showing  the  needle  in  position 131 

88.  Showing  the  method  of  sewing  a  loop  on  a  towel 133 

89.  Sewing  on  hooks  and  eyes 134 

90.  Single  and  double  brier-stitch 137 

91.  Catch  or  herringbone  stitch 139 

92.  Seam  pressed  open  and  raw  edges   catch-stitched  on 

each  side  to  the  flannel 140 

9 


Illustrations. 

Page 

93.  Both  edges  of  the  seam  pressed  to  one  side  and  catch- 

stitched 140 

94.  Seam  pressed  open  and  catch-stitched  down  the  centre  141 

95.  Buttonhole  or  blanket-stitch,  with  the  needle  in  position  142 

96.  Buttonhole  stitch  unevenly  spaced 143 

97.  Showing  how  the  buttonhole  stitch  may  be  varied 143 

98.  Buttonhole  stitch  used  in  fancy  work 144 

99.  Chain-stitch 144 

100.  Outline  or  stem-stitch 145 

101.  Cross-stitch  used  in  marking 146 

102.  Letters  for  marking 147 

103.  Hemstitching  (the  needle  in  position) 149 

104.  French  knots 150 

105.  A  fan  of  stitches 151 

106.  Cotton  ready  to  be  picked 163 

107.  The  cotton  fibre 164 

108.  The  wool  fibre 170 

10 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


Home  and   School  Sewing, 


I.     PREPARATION   FOR   SEWING. 
Cutting. 

BEFORE  learning  to  sew,  it  is  necessary  to  know  how  to 
cut.  A  garment  must  be  first  cut  in  shape  before  it  can 
be  sewed  together.  In  a  sense,  the  cutting  is  as  important 
as  the  sewing;  for  if  the  lines  of  a  pattern  are  not  exactly 
followed,  the  edges  of  the  seams  will  be  rough  and  ragged, 
and  the  result  will  be  unsatisfactory,  no  matter  how  accu* 
rate  the  sewing. 

MATERIALS. — The  following  materials  are  required  for 
a  lesson  on  cutting:  Scissors;  a  tape  measure  or  ruler; 
manila  paper. 

The  implement  used  in  cutting  is  a  pair  of  scissors. 
Scissors  consist  of  two  blades,  one  of  which  is  narrow  and 
pointed,  and  the  other  wide  and  blunt,  fastened  together 
by  a  screw  or  pin  on  which  they  move.  See  Illustration 
No.  1.  They  should  be  held  in  the  right  hand,  preferably 
with  the  pointed  blade  down.  The  thumb  should  be  thrust 
through  the  upper  handle  and  the  third  finger  through  the 
lower,  while  the  first  and  second  fingers  should  support  and 
guide  the  tool  in  cutting. 

A  tape  measure  is  a  strip  of  painted  tape,  usually  one 

13 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  1.— Position  of  Scissors  when  Cutting. 

and  a  half  yards  in  length,  divided  up  into  inches  and  the 
parts  of  inches.  As  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  tape 
measure  is  required  to  perform  the  work  outlined  in  the 
following  pages,  pupils  are  urged  at  the  outset  to  learn  how 
many  inches  are  in  a  yard,  a  half  yard,  and  a  quarter  yard, 
and  what  fractional  parts  of  a  yard  are  represented  by  27, 
18,  9,  4J,  2J  inches. 

In  learning  to  cut,  manila  paper  may  be  used  instead  of 
cloth  and  a  ruler  in  place  of  a  tape  measure. 

1.  Place  the  long  side  of  the  paper  parallel  with  the 
front  edge  of  the  desk. 

2.  Double  over,  towards  you,  a  strip  one  inch  wide. 

3.  Press  the  edge  of  the  fold  so  that  it  will  form  a 
crease. 

4.  Open  the  fold  out  and  feel  both  the  inside  and  out- 
side of  the  crease.     See  Illustration  No.  2. 

5.  Place  the  paper  flat  on  the  desk  with  the  inside  of  the 

14 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  2.— The  Inside  and  Outside  of  the  Crease. 

crease  up.      (This  prevents  the  scissors  from  slipping  to 
one  side  in  cutting.) 

6.  Cut  along  the  crease,  cutting  the  entire  length  of  the 
blade.      (  Short  cuts  result  in  a  ragged  edge. ) 

7.  Hold  up  the  cut  edge,  first  vertically  and  then  hori- 
zontally to  see  if  it  is  straight  and  true.     See  Illustration 
No.  3. 

8.  Crease  the  paper  in  half  and  quarter-inch  strips,  fol- 
lowing the  directions  given  above. 

9.  For  practice,  cut  a  strip  of 

paper    into    fringe,    making    the  r , 

threads  equal  in  width.  *- : — — ' 


Position  While  Sewing. 
Before  beginning  to  sew,  atten- 

,.           ill!          .                    i  ILL.  3.— Straight  and  True. 

tlOn    Should    be   given    to   the    pOSl-  (Strips  one  inch  wide.) 


15 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

tion  of  the  body.  Pupils  should  sit  well  back  in  the  chair, 
with  heads  erect  and  both  feet  resting  on  the  floor;  the 
elbows  should  be  held  at  the  sides  of  the  body,  and  the 
hands  in  such  a  position  that  the  work  will  be  at  the  proper 
distance  from  the  eyes. 

To  Thread  a  Needle. 

A  needle  is  a  small,  slender,  pointed  tool  usually  of  tem- 
pered steel,  containing  an  eye  to  carry  a  thread  through  a 
fabric  in  sewing. 

Measure  the  thread  across  your  chest  for  the  length. 
Adopt  the  tailor's  method  of  using  short  strands  for  quick 
work. 

Always  use  the  end  of  the  thread  just  broken  from  the 
spool  to  thread  the  needle.  If  the  end  of  the  thread  is 
blunt,  thin  it  out  with  the  blade  of  the  scissors  and  then 
twist  it ;  if  it  has  a  long,  thin  fibre,  cut  it  off. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  for  this  lesson  are : 
A  No.  3  or  4  needle ;  No.  40  cotton ;  a  pair  of  scissors. 

The  Needle  Drill. 

1.  Hold  the  needle  up  in  the  left  hand. 

2.  Hold  the  thread  up  in  the  right  hand. 

3.  Put  the  thread  towards  the  eye  of  the  needle. 

4.  Pass  the  thread  through  the  eye  of  the  needle. 

5.  Carry  the  thread  over. 

6.  Make  a  knot. 

7.  Hold  the  needle  up  in  the  right  hand  threaded.     See 
Illustration  No.  4. 

16 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  4.— THE  NEEDLE  DRILL. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

To  Make  a  Knot. 

A  knot  is  used  only  in  basting,  in  gathering,  in  the  vari- 
ous stitches  used  on  flannels,  and  sometimes  in  sewing  on 
buttons. 

1.  Hold  the  needle  threaded  in  the  right  hand. 

2.  Take  the  end  of  the  thread  between  the  thumb  and 
the  first  finger  of  the  left  hand. 

3.  Stretch  the  thread  tightly,  wind  it  around  the  top  of 
the  first  finger,  and  cross  it  over  the  end  held  between  the 
finger  and  thumb. 

4.  Then  roll  the  first  finger  down  the  thumb,  carrying 
the  thread  with  it  about  half  an  inch,  and  with  the  nail 
of  the  second  finger  push  the  knot  thus  formed  to  the  end 
of  the  thread. 

5.  If  there  is  an  end  of  thread,  cut  it  off. 

How  to  Use  a  Thimble. 

A  thimble  is  a  cap  of  metal  worn  on  the  end  of  the 
finger  in  sewing  to  push  the  needle  through  the  material. 

A  thimble  to  fit  comfortably  should  touch  the  top  of  the 
finger,  but  should  not  be  loose  enough  to  fall  off. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are :  A  small  piece 
of  muslin,  in  addition  to  those  required  in  the  needle  drill. 

Thimble  Drill. 

1.  Eaise  the  right  hand,  holding  the  needle  between  the 
thumb  and  .first  finger;  bring  the  thimble  finger  (middle 
finger  of  right  hand)  into  position.  Let  the  eye  of  the 

needle  rest  against  the  thimble.     See  Illustration  No.  5. 

18 


Home  and  Schoo}  Sewing. 


ILL,  5.— The  Needle  and  Thimble  in  Position. 

2.  Lift  the  left  hand  with  the  muslin  held  over  two 
fingers  and  push  the  needle  into  the  muslin ;  make  a  stitch. 

3.  Draw  the  thread  through  with  the  thread  over  the 
little  finger. 

4.  Do  not  use  a  knot  in  this  exercise. 

NOTE. — It  is  impossible  to  give  the  number  ot  the  needle  and  cotton  to 
be  used  in  the  various  seams,  because  as  the  work  advances  materials 
change  and,  of  course,  needle  and  thi'ead  must  change  with  them. 

19 


II.     BASTING. 


Basting  is  a  preparation  for  sewing,  and  is  intended  to 
keep  the  material  in  place  while  the  sewing  is  being  done. 

In  even  basting,  the  stitches  and  spaces  are  the  same 
length:  It  is  sometimes  called  equal  basting. 

In  uneven  basting,  the  stitches  are  longer  than  the 
spaces. 

In  basting  two  pieces  together,  keep  the  materials,  if 
they  are  large,  flat  on  the  table;  if  they  are  small,  baste 
over  two  fingers. 

Before  sewing  on  trimmings,  baste  them  in  place  very 
carefully  so  that  there  will  be  neither  fullness  of  trimming 
nor  drawing  of  the  fabric. 

Work  is  never  properly  finished  until  the  basting  stitches 
are  ripped  out. 


I'-' 

r'v~;JttL       <••'-„--.  '»~#fa..'''.- 


ILL.  6.— Even  Basting. 
20 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  7.— Uneven  Basting. 

In  ripping  the  basting  out  of  velvet  or  cloth,  cut  the 
thread  every  few  inches,  as  the  pulling  out  of  a  long  thread 
leaves  marks. 

In  learning  to  baste,  soft  cotton  of  a  contrasting  color 
is  advisable,  as  it  is  easier  to  take  out  and  to  distinguish 
from  the  ordinary  sewing. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  in  this  lesson  are : 
A  piece  of  unbleached  muslin  12  inches  square ;  a  No.  T 
sharp  needle ;  No.  50  cotton  (red)  ;  scissors ;  a  ruler  or 
tape  measure. 

Even  Basting. 

1.  Examine  and  describe  the  sample  furnished  you  by 
the  teacher. 

2.  Make  a  drawing  of  it  on  the  blackboard.     See  Illus- 
tration No.  6. 

3.  Find  the  length  of  the  stitch  and  space  by  measuring 
the  stitch  on  the  sample. 

4.  Hold  the  material  over  the  first  two  fingers  of  the 

left  hand. 

21 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  8.— Basting  on  Lined  Skirts,  etc. 

5.  Begin  at  the  right-hand  side  of  the  material. 

6.  Begin  with  knot  and  backstitch. 

7.  Make  stitches  and  spaces  one-fourth  of  an  inch. 

8.  Continue  basting  until  work  assigned  is  completed. 

9.  Fasten  the  thread  securely  by  a  backstitch.     This  is 
sometimes  called  a  fastening  stitch. 


Uneven  Basting. 

This  basting  forms  a  guide  line  in  sewing  just  as  the 
blue  lines  on  paper  guide  us  in  writing. 

1.  Hold  the  material  over  the  first  two  fingers  of  the  left 
hand. 

2.  Begin  with  a  knot  and  backstitch. 

3.  Make  the  stitch  three-fourths  of  an  inch  long. 

4.  Make  the  space  as  short  as  possible. 

5.  Fasten  with  one  or  two  backstitches.    See  Illustration 

No.  7, 

22 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Basting  Used  in  Dressmaking.* 

In  basting  skirts  with  lining,  or  garments  where  large 
spaces  are  to  be  covered,  a  slanting  stitch  may  be  used. 
In  this  kind  of  work,  point  the  needle  towards  you  and  take 
as  large  a  stitch  upon  it  as  possible.  This  is  sometimes 
called  tacking.  In  doing  this  work,  keep  your  materials 
flat  on  the  table.  See  Illustration  'No.  8. 

*For  advanced  work. 

23 


III.     HEMMING. 

A  hem  is  a  fold  turned  down  twice,  used  to  strengthen 
and  finish  the  material  on  which  it  is  placed. 

The  two  turns  of  the  hem  are  called  the  fold  of  the  hem. 

A  notched  card  may  be  used  as  a  guide  in  turning  wide 
hems.  This  is  called  a  measure  or  gauge. 

Exactness  and  uniformity  in  the  size,  slant,  and  space 
between  the  stitches  are  necessary  to  insure  beautiful  hem- 
ming. 

While  you  are  learning,  hems  should  be  made  across  the 
muslin. 

The  turning  of  the  hem  may  be  practiced  on  paper  be- 
fore making  it  on  muslin. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  for  this  lesson  are : 
A  piece  of  muslin  (12  inches  square)  ;  "ground  downs"  or 
"between"  needles ;  cotton  of  a  suitable  number  (No.  50  red 
preferred)  ;  scissors ;  a  ruler  or  tape  measure. 

Folding  and  Basting  of  the  Hem. 

1.  Hold  the  muslin  up  with  the  selvage  edge  at  the 
right  side.     Pupils  without  a  selvage  edge  on  their  piece 
of  muslin  will  hold  it  up  so  that  the  line  (drawn  by  the 
teacher)  runs  vertically. 

2.  Make  the  first  turn  of  the  hem  one-fourth  of  an  inch, 
creasing  it  from  right  to  left.   ( Special  care  should  be  given 

24 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  9.— The  Needle  in  Position  for  Beginning  the  Hem. 

to  this  turn,  as  the  evenness  of  the  hem  greatly  depends 
on  it.) 

3.  Make  the  second  turn  of  the  hem  one  inch ;  begin  to 
turn  it  at  the  right-hand  side  and  crease  it  by  laying  it  in 
plaits  between  the  thumb  and  first  finger  of  the  right  hand. 
(Never  crease  it  by  stretching  across  from  side  to  side.) 

4.  Test  the  results  with  an  inch  measure. 

5.  Baste  close  to  the  edge  with  even  basting,  as  in  the 
picture.     See  Illustration  "No.  9. 

6.  Avoid  using  knots. 

7.  Hold  the  hem  straight  around  the  first  finger  of  the 
left  hand. 

8.  Pointing  the  needle  towards  the  righi,  put  it  through 

the  fold  of  the  hem  only.     See  Illustration  No.  9. 

25 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  10.— The  Hem  Partly  Done. 

9.  Draw  the  needle  through,  leaving  about  one-half  an 
inch  of  thread. 

10.  Tuck  the  end  of  the  thread  under  the  fold  of  the 
hem. 

11.  Make  two  stitches  through  the  fold  of  the  hem,  and 
turn  the  needle  towards  the  thumb  nail  of  the  left  hand. 
These  stitches  take  the  place  of  a  knot. 

12*  Take  up  a  few  threads  of  the  muslin  and  the  fold 
of  the  hem  at  each  stitch  (that  is,  through  three  thick- 
nesses of  the  material). 

13.  Draw  the  needle    out    and    continue  to  make  the 
stitches  close  and  slanting.     See  Illustration  !No.  10. 

14.  Train  the  eye  to  know  when  the  stitch  is  uniform  in 
slant,  size,  and  space. 


26 


A 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

15.  Finish  the  hem  by  taking  two  or  three  stitches  on 
top  of  each  other,  and  then  slip  the  needle  under  the  hem 
as  far  back  as  three  stitches  before  cutting  the  thread. 

To  MEND  THE  THREAD,  if  there  is  no  end  left,  rip  out  a 
few  stitches  and  tuck  the  end  of  the  thread  under  the  fold. 
Start  the  new  thread  as  in  commencing;  tuck  the  end  of 
the  new  thread  under  the  fold  of  the  hem  and  secure  both 
ends  with  the  next  stitches.  See  Illustration  No.  11. 


Measure  or  Gauge  for  a  Wide  Hem. 

1.  Measure  the  desired  length  at  the  edge  of  a  card,  and 
make  a  straight  cut  into  the  card. 

2.  Below  this,  cut  at  an  angle  so  as  to  take  out  a  three- 
cornered  piece. 


ILL.  11,— Joining  the  Thread  in  Hemming. 
21 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

To  Turn  a  Wide  Hem. 

1.  Make  the  first  turn  as  in  the  narrow  hem. 

2.  Crease  the  second  turn  of  the  hem  by  placing  the 
straight  cut  of  the  gauge  to  the  edge  of  the  fold  of  the  hem 
and  turn  it  the  width  of  the  gauge. 

3.  Turn  about  a  half  yard  in  this  manner,  and  then  go 
back  to  the  beginning  and  test  it  as  you  baste  it. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  BE  MADE  IN  HEMMING. 

L  Upright  stitches  caused  by  not  holding  the  work 
in  the  right  position  and  not  giving  the  needle  sufficient 
slant. 

2.  Stitches  not  uniform  in  size. 

3.  Stitches  irregular  in  space. 

4:.  Incorrect  mending  of  the  thread. 
5.  Hem  not  turned  accurately. 

N  apery  or  French  Hem. 

This  hem  is  used  for  hemming  tablecloths,  napkins,  etc. 
Housekeepers  are  beginning  to  realize  that  the  hemming 
of  fine  table  linen  with  a  sewing  machine  is  far  from  sat- 
isfactory. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  in  learning  this 
lesson  are:  A  napkin  or  a  piece  of  linen;  needles,  "be- 
tweens"  or  "ground  downs"  No.  9 ;  cotton,  white,  No.  TO. 

1.  Make  the  first  and  second  turn  as  in  an  ordinary 
narrow  hem. 

2.  Then  fold  it  back  at  the  line  of  the  first  turn. 
S.  Hold  the  hem  towards  you. 

28 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  12.— N  apery  or  French  Hem. 

4.  Sew  it  like  an  overseam.     See  Illustration  No.  12. 

5.  Open  it  out  and  rub  it  flat. 

Rolled  Hem.* 

A  rolled  hem  is  frequently  used  on  the  edges  of  ruffles, 
handkerchiefs,  etc.,  particularly  where  the  material  is  very 
fine  and  a  lace  edge  is  to  be  sewed  on,  and  in  sewing  lace 
and  needlework  insertions  together.  The  stitch  used  in 
this  case  is  often  referred  to  as  whipping. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  Some  sheer 
fine  material,  either  linen  or  cotton ;  cotton  No.  80  or  100 ; 
needles,  "ground  downs"  or  "betweens"  No.  9  or  10; 
scissors. 

1.  Trim  off  all  frayed  edges. 

2.  TTold  the  wrong  side  of  the  material  towards  you. 

3.  Begin  at  the  right-hand  side  and  rub  an  inch  of  the 
material  upwards  and  downwards  between  the  thumb  and 
first  finger  until  you  feel  a  small  roll. 

*  Advanced  work. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

4.  Do  this  with  the  left  hand,  pressing  the  material 
firmly  while  making  the  roll. 

5.  Roll  about  two  inches  at  a  time. 

6.  Sew  with  a  long,  slanting  stitch  somewhat  similar  to 
hemming ;  the  needle  being  held  at  the  same  angle,  but  in- 
serted under  the  roll  and  brought  out  at  the  top. 

7.  Do  not  make  the  stitches  quite  as  close  as  in  hem- 
ming.    See  Illustration  No.  13. 

8.  Keep  rolling  the  hem  a  little  in  advance  of  the  sew- 
ing. 

9.  If  lace  is  to  be  sewed  on,  sew  both  lace  and  hem 
at  one  time. 

Back  Hemming.* 

This  hemming  stitch,  on  account  of  its  strength,  is  par- 
ticularly adapted  to  sewing  braids  and  facings  on  skirts. 


ILL.  13.— Rolling  and  Whipping  the  Hem. 

•Advanced  work. 

30 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  14.— Back  Hemming— A  Stitch  Used  in  Sewing  on  Braids. 

MATEKIALS. — These  materials  will  be  required:  A  hem 
basted ;  heavy  silk  or  cotton ;  needles  ~No.  8. 

1.  Begin  with  a  small  knot,  tuck  it  under  the  hem  or 
facing,  and  instead  of  taking  the  needle  forward  each  time, 
take  it  a  short  distance  back  of  where  the  thread  came 
through  last.     See  Illustration  No.  14. 

2.  The  stitch  may  be  a  good-sized  one,  but  it  must  not 
show  through  on  the  right  side. 

31 


IV.     OVERSEAMING. 

Overseaming  is  sometimes  called  overhanding  or  top 
sewing,  and  it  gets  its  name  from  the  manner  of  making  it. 

In  sewing,  hold  the  muslin  between  the  thumb  and  the 
first  finger  of  the  left  hand. 

Never  sew  this  seam  with  the  material  over  the  first 
finger,  as  it  causes  the  side  towards  you  to  pucker. 

In  making  the  stitch,  take  up  as  little  of  the  muslin  as 
possible ;  depend  on  the  closeness  rather  than  on  the  depth 
of  the  stitch  for  strength. 

MATEEIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece  of  muslin ;  "ground  downs"  or  "between"  needles ; 
scissors;  cotton  (red)  ;  a  ruler  or  tape  measure. 

1.  Measure  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  last  seam 
and  cut  the  muslin.     (All  seams  to  be  made  one  and  a  half 
inches  apart.) 

2.  Make  a  turn  one-fourth  of  an  inch  on  the  wrong  side 
of  each  piece. 

3.  Place  the  material  together  with  the  right  side  of  each 
piece  out  so  that  the  edges  and  ends  are  exactly  even. 

4.  Baste  close  to  the  edge  with  even  basting. 

5.  Do  not  use  a  knot. 

6.  Sew  from  right  to  left. 

7.  In  beginning  the  seam,  point  the  needle  towards  you, 
taking  it  through  the  edge  of  the  muslin  nearest  you ;  leave 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  15.- Proper  Position  of  the  Work  in  Overseaming. 


an  end  of  the  thread,  and  leave  this  end  on  the  top  of  the 
seam. 

8.  Sew  over  it  (through  both  edges)  for  about  a  half 
inch;  trim  off  the  end  of  the  thread  and  continue  sewing 
the  seam.     See  Illustration  No.  15. 

9.  In  joining  or  mending  the  thread,  leave  half  an  inch 
of  the  old  thread. 

10.  If  the  thread  breaks  short,  open  a  few  stitches. 

11.  With  the  point  of  the  needle  draw  the  thread  out  of 
the  edge  nearest  you. 

12.  Put   the   newly   threaded  needle  through  the  hole 
where  the  old  thread  came  out. 

(3>  33 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

13.  Leave  a  half  inch  of  the  new  thread  (no  knot)  to  be 
sewed  down  with  the  old  one. 

14.  Finish  the  seam  by  sewing  back  on  the  last  three 
stitches. 

15.  Take  out  the  bastings  and  rub  the  seam  with  the 
thumb  nail  until  it  is  perfectly  flat. 

16.  If  the  seam  is  a  long  one,  especially  if  it  is  made  on 
selvage  edges,  great  care  is  necessary  to  prevent  it  from 
puckering.    This  may  be  avoided  by  beginning  at  the  cen- 
tre and  sewing  towards  each  end. 

PRACTICAL  WORK. — Iron  holders,  pillow  cases,  pin  cush- 
ions, bibs,  and  oversleeves  may  be  made  by  using  this  seam. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  BE  MADE  IN  OVERSEAMING. 

1.  Edges  turned  unevenly. 

2.  Seam  puckered. 

3.  Beginning  and  ending  insecure. 

4.  Stitches  too  deep  or  too  far  apart. 

5.  Seam  not  flattened  out. 

34 


V.     RUNNING   SEAM. 

A  running  seam  is  made  by  taking  the  needle  in  and  out 
of  the  muslin,  keeping  the  stitches  and  spaces  the  same 
length.  It  probably  is  so  called  because  it  is  a  rapidly 
made  seam.  It  resembles  even  basting  on  a  small  scale. 

Always  sew  below  the  basting. 

MATEKIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece  cut  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  last  seam ;  sharp 
needles ;  red  cotton ;  scissors ;  ruler  or  tape  measure. 

1.  Place  the  muslin  together  with  the  wrong  side  of  each 
piece  out. 

2.  Keep  edges  and  ends  exactly  even. 

3.  Baste  one-fourth  of  an  inch  from  the  edge  with  un- 
even basting.    See  Illustration  No.  16. 


ILL.  16.— Uneven  Basting  for  a  Running  Seam. 
35 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  17.— Proper  Position  of  the  Work  in  Making  a  Kunning  Seam. 

4.  In  sewing,  hold  the  material  between  the  thumb  and 
the  first  finger  of  each  hand.     See  Illustration  'No.  17. 

5.  Do  not  use  a  knot. 

6.  Leave  a  half  inch  of  thread  and  begin  the  seam  with 
two  backstitches. 

7.  Sew  from  right  to  left,  taking  the  needle  in  and  out 
at  regular  intervals. 

8.  Sew  directly  under  and  close  to  the  basting. 

9.  Fasten  the  thread  by  taking  two  or  three  backstitches 
at  the  end. 

10.  Mend  the  thread  by  drawing  the  old  thread  through 
to  the  wrong  side,  and  by  bringing  the  new  thread  up  from 
the  wrong  side ;  go  back  over  the  last  two  stitches,  beginning 

with  a  backstitch. 

36 


VI.      BACKSTITCHING. 

The  Backstitched  Seam. 

This  stitch  probably  derives  its  name  from  the  fact  that 
the  needle  is  taken  backward  in  making  each  stitch.  It  is 
frequently  called  "a  whole-back-stitched  seam."  "Back" 
tells  us  the  kind  of  a  stitch  and  "whole"  or  all  the  way,  the 
distance  back. 

The  stitch  resembles  a  machine  stitch  on  the  right  side. 

There  is  no  space  between  the  stitches. 

This  seam  is  used  for  joining  seams,  for  strengthening 
and  ornamenting  the  various  parts  of  a  garment,  and  for 
sewing  on  tapes. 

MATERIALS. — These  materials  will  be  required :  A  prac- 
tice piece  cut  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  last  seam; 


ILL.  18.— Beginning  to  Backstitch. 
37 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  19.— Backstitching  Partly  Done. 

"ground  downs"  or  "between"  needles;  red  cotton;  scis- 
sors ;  ruler  or  tape  measure. 

1.  Prepare  and  baste  as  for  running  seam. 

2.  Do  not  use  a  knot. 

3.  Hold  the  work  around  the  first  finger  of  the  left  hand. 

4.  Sew  from  right  to  left. 

5.  Leave  a  half  inch  of  thread  and  begin  with  two  back- 
stitches. 

6.  Sew  by  taking  a  short  stitch  to  the  right,  and  then 
taking  a  stitch  twice  as  long  to  the  left  on  the  wrong  side  of 
the  seam.     Make  one  stitch  at  a  time.     Or,  bring  your 
thread  through  at  1  (see  Illustration  No.  18),  take  your 
needle  back  to  2  and  bring  it  out  again  at  3 ;  the  distance 
between  1  and  3  being  the  size  of  the  stitch  that  is  to  fol- 
low. 

7.  All  stitches  must  meet  on  the  right  side  of  the  seam. 
See  Illustration  No.  19. 

8.  Be  careful  to  keep  the  stitches  uniform  in  size. 

9.  In  fastening  the  thread  take  the  needle  through  to 

38 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

the  wrong  side  and  make  two  stitches  through  the  last  ones 
made. 

10.  Mend  or  join  the  thread  the  same  as  in  running 
stitches. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUR  IN  A  BACKSTITCH  SEAM. 

1.  Spaces  left  between  stitches. 

2.  Stitches  crooked;  a  number  of  stitches  made  on  the 
top  of  each  other  instead  of  always  bringing  the  needle  out 
beyond  the  thread. 

3.  Want  of  uniformity  in  the  size  of  the  stitch. 

Backstitch  and  Three  Running  Stitches. 

This  seam  may  be  varied  by  increasing  or  decreasing 
the  number  of  running  stitches.  It  is  used  when  a  seam 
somewhat  stronger  than  a  running  seam  is  required. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece  cut  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  last  seam;  sharp 
needles ;  cotton ;  scissors ;  ruler  or  tape  measure. 


ILL.  20.— A  Seam  Made  with  a  Backstitch  and  Three  Running  Stitches. 

39 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

1.  Arrange  material  and  baste  as  for  running  seam. 

2.  Begin  as  for  the  running  stitch  with  two  backstitches. 

3.  Make  three  running  stitches. 

4.  Make  one  backstitch. 

5.  The  last  stitch  will  naturally  cover  the  space  to  the 
right  of  it.     See  Illustration  No.  20. 

Half  Backstitching. 

Half  backstitching  is  made  in  the  same  manner  as  back- 
stitching,  except  that  the  needle  is  taken  halfway  back  in- 
stead of  all  the  way  back  to  the  last  stitch. 

It  is  more  rapidly  done  than  the  backstitch. 

MATEEIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece  cut  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  last  seam ;  "ground 
downs"  or  "between"  needles ;  cotton ;  scissors ;  ruler  or 
tape  measure. 

1.  Prepare  material  and  baste  as  for  running  seam. 

2.  Begin  by  leaving  a  half  inch  of  thread  and  making  a 
backstitch. 

3.  Take  one  stitch  at  a  time. 

4.  Make  the  stitch  halfway  back  to  the  last  one. 

5.  Continue  the  seam,  giving  close  attention  to  the  uni- 
formity of  the  stitch  and  space. 

40 


VII.     OVERCASTING. 

Overcasting  is  used  to  finish  the  raw  edges  of  a  seam  and 
to  keep  it  from  raveling.  In  overcasting  a  lined  dress 
waist,  first  press  open  the  seams  very  carefully,  then  turn 
in  the  raw  edges  of  the  material  and  lining  to  meet  each 
other,  and  overcast  the  turned  edges  with  sewing  silk;  or 
the  edges  may  be  trimmed  off  and  overcast  without  turning 
them  in. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  for  this  lesson  are : 
A  practice  piece,  using  any  one  of  the  seams  just  made; 
sharp  needles;  cotton;  scissors. 

1.  Take  out  all  bastings  and  trim  off  all  frayed  edges. 

2.  Begin  at  the  right-hand  side  with  two  small  back- 
stitches. 


ILL.  21.— A  Seam  Finished  with  Overcasting. 
41 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

3.  Point  the  needle  through  the  muslin  towards  the 
thumb  of  the  left  hand,  as  in  overseaming. 

4.  Make  the  stitches  one-eighth  of  an  inch  down  and 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  apart. 

5.  Take  the  stitch  over  both  edges  of  the  goods. 

6.  Do  not  draw  the  thread  tightly.    See  Illustration  No. 
21. 

7.  Overcast  with  the  grain  or  weave  of  the  material. 

8.  To  join  the  thread,  put  the  needle  between  the  edges 
of  the  seam,  take  it  through  the  hole  made  by  the  last 
stitch,  and  make  a  small  backstitch. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUR  IN  OVERCASTING. 

1.  Incorrect  slant. 

2.  Irregular  space. 

3.  Stitch  too  deep. 

4.  Cotton  drawn  too  tightly,  thus  curling  the  edge  and 
spoiling  the  appearance  of  the  seam. 

42 


VIII.     FACINGS. 

A  facing  is  a  fold  placed  on  the  edge  of  a  garment  to 
take  the  place  of  a  hem. 

Facings  are  frequently  cut  on  the  bias.  Garments  are 
usually  faced  on  the  wrong  side. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  for  learning  to 
make  facings  are :  A  dress  or  petticoat  requiring  a  facing ; 
a  facing  three  or  four  inches  wide  and  of  the  desired 
length;  sharp  needles;  cotton;  scissors;  ruler  or  tape 
measure. 

1.  Turn  the  garment  right  side  out. 

2.  Place  the  right  side  of  the  facing  to  the  right  side  of 
the  garment  (edges  exactly  even). 

3.  Hold  the  facing  towards  you,  being  careful  not  to 
full  it. 

4.  Baste  one-fourth  of  an  inch  below  the  edge  with  un- 
even basting. 

5.  Sew  with  a  backstitch  and  one  running  stitch  directly 
below  the  basting. 

6.  Take  out  the  basting  threads. 

7.  Fold  it  over  on  the  wrong  side,  being  careful  to  keep 
the  seam  on  the  edge,  but  do  not  let  it  show  on  the  right 
side. 

8.  Place  the  skirt  flat  on  the  table  and  baste  it  through 
the  middle  of  the  facing  with  uneven  basting. 

43 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

9.  Turn  down  the  opposite  edge  of  the  facing  one-quar- 
ter of  an  inch  and  baste  it  close  to  the  edge  with  even 
basting. 

1.0.  Hem  or  slip-stitch  according  to  the  material. 

11.  Press  the  edge  of  the  facing  with  a  cool  iron.  Do 
not  move  the  iron  rapidly,  but  allow  it  to  rest  for  a  short 
time  on  the  place  to  be  pressed. 

44 


IX.     SLIP-STITCHING.* 

Slip  or  blind  stitching  is  a  method  of  sewing  a  hem  or 
trimming  by  invisible  stitches.  It  has  probably  derived 
its  name  from  the  fact  that  the  needle  is  slipped  between 
two  pieces  of  material  and  joins  them  together  by  a  long 
and  a  short  running  stitch,  which  cannot  be  seen  on  either 
side. 

Slip-stitching  requires  much  practice  and  delicate  hand- 
ling of  the  material;  puckering  and  insecure  stitching 
being  common  faults. 

Careful  pressing  of  the  hem  with  a  cool  iron  will  im- 
prove its  appearance. 


ILL.  22— Slip  or  Blind  Stitching,  with  the  Needle  in  Position. 
*  Advanced  work. 

45 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

MATEKIALS. — These  materials  are  required:  A  piece  of 
flannel  or  common  cloth  of  sufficient  size  to  illustrate  the 
lesson ;  fine  sewing  silk ;  sharp  needles  No.  9 ;  tape  measure. 

1.  Fold  and  crease  a  hem  one  inch  wide. 

2.  Baste  about  one-fourth  of  an  inch  from  the  edge  with 
even  basting.    (If  the  material  is  wiry,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  baste  each  turn  separately.) 

3.  Make  a  very  small  knot. 

4.  Hide  the  knot  by  taking  the  needle  through  the  under 
part  of  the  fold,  close  to  the  end. 

5.  Take  up  two  or  three  threads  of  cloth,  and  before 
drawing  the  needle  through  take  one-fourth  of  an  inch  of 
the  under  edge  of  the  fold.     See  Illustration  No.  22. 

6.  Bring  the  needle  out  at  the  edge;  draw  the  thread 
gently. 

7.  Fasten  the  end  of  the  thread  securely. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUR  IN  SLIP-STITCHING. 

1.  Stitches  which  show  through  on  the  right  side. 

2.  Hem  not  properly  prepared,  and  consequently  some- 
what twisted  when  finished. 

Milliner's  Hem.* 

A  milliner's  hem  may  be  considered  a  sort  of  blind  stitch- 
ing ;  it  slightly  resembles  a  catch  stitch,  but  does  not  cross 
at  the  angles. 

It  is  much  used  in  securing  the  edges  of  velvet  and  simi- 
lar fabrics. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are  tfa.fi  saj#e  as  for 
slip-stitching. 

•Advanced  work. 

46 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  23.-Milliner's  Hem. 

1.  Turn  down  the  hem  one  inch.     (This  hem  is  only 
given  one  turn.) 

2.  Hold  the  hem  upside  down. 

3.  Take  a  small  stitch  through  the  turn  of  the  hem.   . 

4.  Take    another   small    stitch,    a    little    forward    and 
through  the  material,  just  ahove  the  hem. 

5.  These  stitches  must  not  show  through  on  the  right 
side. 

6.  Work  from  right  to  left. 

7.  Continue  in  this  manner,  being  careful  to  draw  the 
thread  lightly.     See  Illustration  No.  23. 

8.  Fasten  with  a  backstitch. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUR  IN  MILLINER'S  HEM. 

1.  The  stitches  showing  on  right  side  of  garment. 

2.  Stitches  made  too  close  together. 

3.  Hem  twisted,  especially  if  made  on  the  bias. 

47 


X.     THE   FELL. 

A  plain  fell  is  a  flat,  smooth  seam  between  two  pieces  of 
fabric  made  by  putting  two  pieces  of  material  together 
with  one  edge  extending  beyond  the  other  and  hemming 
the  extended  edge  down. 

In  lower  grades,  the  plain  fell  should  be  made  on  un- 
bleached muslin;  in  higher  grades,  a  narrower  fell,  both 
bias  and  straight,  should  be  made  and  bleached  muslin 
used. 

Hem  a  fell  cut  on  the  bias  by  beginning  at  the  wide 
part -of  the  garment  and  sewing  towards  the  narrow  part. 

A  fell  may  be  made  by  sewing  it  with  the  edges  even, 
and  then  trimming  off  the  lower  edge. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 


<  »> »'*>•*<  •/» 


ILL.  24.-The  Plain  Fell  Basted. 
48 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  25.— Sewing  the  First  Part  of  Plain  Fell. 

piece  cut  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  last  seam ;  "sharp" 
needles  for  the  first  part  and  ''ground  downs'7  for  the  sec- 
ond part  of  the  seam ;  cotton ;  scissors ;  ruler  or  tape 
measure. 

1.  Place  the  muslin  together  with  the  upper  edge  ex- 
tending one-fourth  of  an  inch  above  the  lower  edge.     See 
that  the  edges  are  kept  parallel. 

2.  Place  the  wrong  side  of  each  piece  out. 

3.  Baste  with  uneven  basting  one-eighth  of  an  inch  be- 
low the  lower  edge.     See  Illustration  "No.  24. 

4.  Sew  with  a  backstitch  and  three  running  stitches  close 
to  and  under  the  basting.    See  Illustration  Xo.  25. 

5.  Take  out  the  basting. 

6.  Open  the  work  out  flat  and  rub  it  the  entire  length  of 
the  seam  to  prevent  it  from  forming  a  fold  on  the  right 
side. 

7.  Turn  down  the  edge  that  extends  one-eighth  of  an 
inch  on  the  wrong  side. 

(4)  49 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

8.  Press  the  turn  down  flat  and  baste    it    with    even 
basting. 

9.  Finish  with  hemming.    See  Illustration  ~No.  26. 

NOTE.— The  second  basting  is  sometimes  omitted,  and  the  edge  is  turned 
under  with  the  point  of  the  needle  as  it  is  hemmed. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUR. 

1.  Badly  prepared  fell,  the  width  being  unsuitable  to  the 
garment. 

2.  A  puckered  and  clumsy,  instead  of  a  neat  and  flat, 
appearance  on  the  right  side. 

French  Fell. 

In  a  French  fell  the  frayed  edges  are  completely  hidden, 
and  no  stitches  show  on  the  right  side.    When  finished,  it 


ILL.  26.— Plain  Fell  Completed. 
50 


Home  and   School  Sewing. 


looks  like  a  ridge  or  a  cord,  and  is  particularly  satisfac- 
tory on  curved  or  bias  seams. 

Pupils  can  baste  the  second  part  of  the  French  fell  with 
greater  accuracy  if  they  hold  it  up  between  them  and  the 
light  while  doing  it. 

The  difference  between  a  plain  and  a  French  fell  will  be 
seen  from  this  table: 

PLAIN  FELL. 

1.  Place    the    seam    to- 
gether with  the  wrong  side 
of  each  piece  out. 

2.  Let  one   edge  extend 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  be- 
yond the  other. 

3.  Baste     with     uneven 
basting   one-eighth     of     an 
inch  below  the  lower  edge. 

4.  Sew  the  first  part  of 
the   seam  with   three   run- 
ning stitches  and  a  back- 
stitch. 

5.  Turn  down   the   edge 
that  extends  and  finish  with 
hemming. 


FELL. 

1.  Place    the    seam    to- 
gether with  the  right  side  of 
each  piece  out. 

2.  Make   the   edges   and 
ends  exactly  even. 

3.  Baste     with     uneven 
basting   one  -  eighth    of   an 
inch  below  the  edge. 

4.  Sew  the  first  part  of 
seam  with  one  running  and 
one  backstitch. 

5.  Turn  the  seam  on  the 
wrong  side  and  finish  with 
backstitching. 


MATEEIALS. — The  materials  required  for  the  French 
fell  are:  A  practice  piece  as  prepared  for  other  seams; 
"ground  downs"  or  "between"  needles;  cotton;  scissors; 
ruler  or  tape  measure. 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  27.— French  Fell. 

1.  Place  the  material  with  the  right  side  of  each  piece 
out  and  the  edges  and  ends  exactly  even. 

2.  Baste  with  uneven   basting  one-eighth   of   an   inch 
from  the  edge. 

3.  Sew  with  a  backstitch  and  one  running  stitch  direct- 
ly under  the  basting. 

4.  Take  out  basting. 

5.  Trim  off  frayed  edges. 

6.  Hub  the  seam  on  the  wrong  side  with  the  nail  so 
that  the  sewing,  when  the  seam  is  turned,  may  be  kept 
at  the  edge. 

7.  Turn  the  material  over  on  the  line  of  sewing  so  that 
the  seam  will  be  on  the  wrong  side. 

8.  Baste  with  uneven  basting  directly  below  the  turns. 
Be  careful  that  no  frayed  edges  are  seen  on  the  right  side. 

9.  Sew  with  a  backstitch.     See  Illustration  No.  27. 
PRACTICAL  WORK.— A  corset  coyer  will  give  experience 

in  making  the  French  fell. 

52 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

• 
MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUR  IJN"  THE  FRENCH  FELL. 

1.  First  part  of  the  seam  not  brought  to  the  top  edge 
when  basting  for  the  second  seam. 

2.  Frayed  edges  of  the  first  seam  showing  on  the  right 
side  when  finished. 

3.  Seam  too  wide. 

English  Fell. 

This  is  really  ji  plain  fell,  differing  principally  in  the 
method  of  turning  and  sewing  the  first  part.  It  is  useful 
in  making  up  sheer  muslins,  lawns,  and  similar  materials 
where  quickness  of  sewing  rather  than  strength  of  seam  is 
desired. 

This  seam  does  not  require  the  second  part  to  be  basted. 

MATERIALS.— The,  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece  cut  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  last  seam; 
"sharps"  for  the  first  part  and  "ground  downs"  or  "be- 


ILL.  28.— English  Fell,  Showing  the  Turning  of  the  Edge  and  Sewing  of  the 

First  Part. 

53 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

tween"  needles  for  the  second  part  of  the  seam;  cotton; 
scissors ;  ruler  or  tape  measure. 

1.  Turn  down  the  edge  of  one  piece  one-eighth  of  an 
inch  on  the  right  side. 

2.  Place  the  raw  edge  of  the  other  piece  to  this  fold 
with  the  wrong  side  of  each  piece  out. 

3.  Baste  one-eighth  of  an  inch  below  the  lower  edge 
with  uneven  basting. 

4.  Sew  with  running  stitches  one-eighth  of  an  inch  be- 
low the  lower  edge.    See  Illustration  "No.  28. 

5.  Press  the  turned  edge  down  flat. 

6.  Finish  with  hemming. 

Overseam  and  Fell. 

This  is  a  particularly  strong  seam,  and  is  often  used  for 
joining  bias  materials  together. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece  cut  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  last  seam; 
needles,  "ground  downs"  or  "betweens";  cotton;  scissors; 
ruler  or  tape  measure. 

Paper  may  be  used  in  practicing  the  folds  necessary  to 
make  this  seam. 

1.  Put  a  double  fold  or  turn  on  one  side  of  the  material, 
making  the  first  turn  one-eighth  of  an  inch  on  the  right 
side,  and  the  second  turn  one-fourth  of  an  inch  back  on 
to  the  wrong  side. 

2.  Turn  the  other  piece  one-fourth  of  an  inch  on  the 
wrong  side. 

3.  Place  the  material  together  with  the  right  side  of 

each  piece  out, 

54 


Home  and   School  Sewing. 


ILL.  29.— Overseam  and  Fell,  Showing  how  the  Edges  are  Turned. 

4.  Baste  with  even  basting. 

5.  Overseam  the  two  edges  together. 

6.  Flatten  the  seam  out  well. 

7.  Turn  the  double  fold  over,  and  finish  with  a  hem 
on  the  wrong  side.     See  Illustration  No.  29. 

German  Hemming  or  German  Fell. 

The  German  fell,  like  the  plain  fell,  is  made  with  two 
seams  and  does  not  show  any  frayed  edges. 

MATERIALS. — These  materials  will  be  required :  A  prac- 
tice piece  cut  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  last  seam; 
"ground  downs"  or  "between"  needles;  cotton;  scissors; 
ruler  or  tape  measure. 

1.  Turn  down  one  piece  one-eighth  of  an  inch  on  the 
right  side.     (This  represents  the  upper  half  of  the  seam.) 

2.  Turn  down  the  other  piece  one-eighth  of  an  inch  on 
the  wrong  side.     (This  represents  the  lower  half  of  the 
seam.) 

55 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

3.  Then  place  the  lower  fold  just  to  the  raw  edge  of  the 
upper  fold. 

4.  Baste  with  even  basting. 

5.  Hem  along  the  edge  of  the  lower  fold. 

6.  Turn  the  upper  fold  over,  and  hem  it  down  like  an 
ordinary  fell. 

Reversible  Seam  or  Counter  Hem. 

A  reversible  seam  is  a  flat  seam  hemmed  on  both  edges. 
It  probably  derives  its  name  from  the  manner  of  turning 
it,  or  from  the  fact  that  a  garment  made  with  this  seam 
may  be  worn  either  side  out. 

Time  may  be  saved  by  practicing  the  turning  and  pla- 
cing of  the  seam  on  paper  before  attempting  it  on  muslin. 

This  seam  is  sometimes  stitched  instead  of  hemmed. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are :  A  practice 
piece  cut  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  last  seam ;  "ground 
downs"  or  "between"  needles;  cotton;  scigsors;  ruler  or 
tape  measure. 

1.  Turn  down  the  edge  of  one  piece  one-eighth  of  an 
inch  on  the  wrong  side. 

2.  Turn  down  the  edge  of  the  second  piece  one-eighth  of 
an  inch  on  the  right  side. 

3.  Place  the  two  folds  one  on  top  of  the  other,  so  that 
the  frayed  edges  will  not  show  on  either  side. 

4.  Place  one  inch  together  at  a  time ;  hold  it  up  to  the 
light  in  order  to  detect  any  crookedness. 

5.  Baste  through  the  centre  of  the  seam.     Take  an  oc- 
casional backstitch  to  prevent  the  cloth  from   slipping 

56 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

while  being  sewed.      On  woolen  goods  baste   across  the 
seam  from  edge  to  edge  like  this: 


6.  Hem  first  on  the  right  and  then  on  the  wrong  side. 

COMMON  MISTAKES  IN  THE  REVERSIBLE  SEAM. 

1.  Edges  turned  unevenly. 

2.  Seam  basted  so  that  it  will  not  have  straight  edges. 

57 


XL     THE   GUSSET. 


A  gusset  is  a  small  piece  of  material  inserted  in  a  gar- 
ment for  the  purpose  of  strengthening  or  enlarging  some 
opening  where  there  is  likely  to  be  more  or  less  strain. 

On  flannel  garments  where  a  gusset  would  be  too  bulky 
a  strengthening  tape  is  frequently  used. 

It  is  next  to  impossible  to  tear  the  bias  folded  edge  of 
the  gusset. 

The  beauty  of  the  gusset  depends  on  the  exactness  with 
which  it  is  put  in  and  the  care  taken  in  finishing  it. 


» 
\ 


ILL.  30.— Steps  In  Preparing  the  Gusset.    1.  Material  Out  of  Which  the  Gusset  is 

to  be  Made.    2.  Folded  Once.    3.  Folded  Twice  to  be  Cut  on  Upper 

Fold.    4.  Shape  when  Opened.    5.  Ready  to  Place  in  Vent. 

58 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  for  this  lesson 
are :  A  practice  piece  in  which  a  vent  has  been  made  ready 
for  a  gusset;  a  piece  of  muslin  one  and  a  half  inches 
square,  out  of  which  the  gusset  is  to  be  made ;  "between" 
needles;  cotton;  scissors;  tape  measure;  a  piece  of  paper 
or  cloth  ten  inches  square  and  having  right  and  wrong 
sides,  so  that  the  process  of  folding  the  gusset  may  be 
learned  easily. 

1.  Fold  the  square  of  paper  on  its  diameter.     Describe 
and  draw  the  shape  (an  oblong  or  rectangle). 

2.  Fold  it  again ;  it  will  now  form  a  square  one-fourth 
the  original  size. 

3.  Fold  one  of  these  squares  on  its  diagonal. 

4.  Open  out  and  cut  across  this  diagonal.   Make  a  draw- 
ing of  it  as  it  now  appears  (a  pentagon). 

5.  Take   the   piece   of   muslin    intended   for   the   gus- 
set, which  should  be  one  and  a  half  inches  square,  and 
repeat  the  steps  taken  on  the  paper.      See   Illustration 
'No.  30. 

6.  Turn  down  the  corner  of  the  gusset  as  in  the  patch. 
See  page  108. 

7.  Turn  down  the  sides  of  the  gusset  one-eighth  of  an 
inch  and  baste  this  turn  with  even  basting. 

8.  Place  the  apex  of  the  gusset  (A)  in  the  angle  formed 
by  the  vent  or  seam  (wrong  side  of  the  gusset  to  the  wrong 
side  of  the  seam). 

9.  Begin  at  (A)  by  inserting  the  needle  through  both 
the  gusset  and  the  angle  of  the  vent ;  leave  a  long  end  of 
thread;  overseam  very  neatly  as  far  as  (B).    Fasten  se- 


Home  and  School  Sewing, 


ILL.  31.— Wrong  Side  of 
Gusset  when  Completed. 


ILL.  32.— Right  Side  of 
Gusset  when  Completed. 


curely  and  run  the  needle  in  and  out  of  the  muslin  to  keep 
it  temporarily  secure. 

10.  Thread  a  new  needle  with  the  long  thread  left  at 
(A)  and  overseam  to  (C).     Flatten  out  the  over  seaming 
stitches  and,  fasten  the  needle  as  before. 

11.  Turn  the  gusset  down  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  gar- 
ment and  baste  it  around  with  the  thread  left  at  (B). 

12.  Then  hem  it  with  the  thread  left  at  (C)  ;  in  this 
way  avoiding  the  starting  of  a  new  thread  during  the 
process.     See  Illustration  No.  31. 

13.  The  bias  fold  of  the  gusset  may  be  stitched  close  to 
the  edge  to  strengthen  it  and  give  it  a  finish.    See  Illustra- 
tion No.  32. 

60 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUR  IN  MAKING  THE  GUSSET. 

1.  Badly  prepared  vent  into  which  the  gusset  is  to  be 
inserted. 

2.  Gusset  carelessly  inserted  on  the  right  side. 

3.  Sides  sewed  unequally  as  regards  length. 

4.  General  appearance  not  flat  when  finished. 

NOTE. — In  preparing  the  vent  for  the  gusset,  be  extremely  careful  to 
roll  the  hem  towards  the  V  part  of  the  vent. 

Strengthening  Tapes. 

A  strengthening  tape  is  used  as  a  substitute  for  a  gus- 
set, at  the  end  of  seams  and  vents  especially  in  flannel 
garments. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece  with  a  vent  or  seam  same  as  for  a  gusset ;  a  piece  of 


ILL.  33.— Strengthening  Tape 
Keady  to  Sew  on  a  Garment. 


ILL.  34.- Strengthening  Tape  Sewed 

to  a  Garment. 
61 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

tape  half  an  inch  wide  and  two  and  a  half  inches  long; 
tape  measure. 

1.  Turn  down  a  narrow  fold  on  each  end  of  the  tape. 

2.  Make  one  turn  on  the  right  and  one  on  the  wrong 
side  of  the  tape.     See  (A)  and  (B)  on  Illustration  No. 
33. 

3.  Fold  the  tape  in  the  middle  like  (C)  on  Illustration 
No.  34. 

4.  Hold  the  wrong  side  of  the  garment  towards  you. 

5.  Place  the  wrong  side  of  the  tape  at  (D)  to  the  vent 
or  seam. 

6.  Pin  the  tape  in  position. 

7.  Hem  from  (A)  to  (C)  to  (B)  down  on  the  garment. 

8.  Then  hem  from  (B)  to  (D)  back  to  (A)  without 
breaking  the  thread.     Buttonhole  stitches  are  sometimes 
used  instead  of  hemming  around  the  V  part  of  the  vent. 

62 


XII.     THE   PLACKET. 

A  placket  is  an  opening  or  slit  made  in  the  upper  part 
of  a  petticoat  or  skirt  for  convenience  in  putting  it  on. 

A  placket  on  a  dress  is  frequently  faced  on  the  right- 
hand  side  with  an  extension  hem  attached  to  the  left-hand 
side;  the  right-hand  side  should  be  lapped  over  at  the 
bottom  of  the  vent  and  stitched. 

The  vent  in  a  lady's  skirt  should  be  ten  inches  long,  but 
in  a  petticoat  the  length  of  the  vent  will  depend  upon 
the  depth  of  the  yoke  or  band. 

MATERIALS. — Materials  required :  The  best  material  for 
this  lesson  is  a  skirt  on  which  the  placket  is  to  be  made; 
needles;  cotton;  scissors;  tape  measure. 

1.  Leave  one  of  the  seams  of  the  skirt  open  the  desired 
length,  or 

2.  If  the  seam  is  not  in  proper  place  for  the  placket,  cut 
a  vent  the  proper  length;  cutting  the  vent  with  a  thread 
of  the  muslin. 

3.  Turn  the  skirt  wrong  side  out. 

4.  On  the  right-hand  side  of  the  vent,  make  a  hem  one- 
fourth  of  an  inch  wide,  narrowing  it  to  a  point  and  rolling 
it  at  the  bottom. 

5.  On  the  left-hand  side,  make  a  hem  three-fourths  of 
an  inch  wide,  keeping  it  the  same  width  all  the  way  down. 

63 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  36.— The  Placket. 

6.  Turn  the  skirt  right  side  out ;  the  wide  hem  is  now  on 
the  right-hand  side  and  the  narrow  one  on  the  left. 

7.  Lap  the  three-fourths-of-an-inch  hem  over  the  nar- 
row one  on  the  left-hand  side  at  the  bottom  of  the  vent, 
and  secure  it  by  two  horizontal  rows  of  stitching,  about 
one-fourth  of  an  inch  apart.     See  Illustration  No.  35. 

64 


XIII.     CORDING   AND    PIPING.* 

Cording  is  used  to  strengthen  and  finish  various  parts 
of  a  garment,  and  is  made  by  covering  dress  cord  with  a 
bias  piece  of  material.  The  width  of  the  bias  strips  de- 
pends on  the  thickness  of  the  cord.  Additional  material 
must  be  allowed  if  the  covering  is  intended  to  face  the  gar- 
ment as  well. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  Cloth  cut 
on  a  true  bias ;  needles,  "sharps" ;  cotton ;  scissors ;  a  piece 
of  fine  dress  cord;  tape  measure. 

1.  Place  the  cord  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  bias  strip. 

2.  Let  the  end  of  the  strip  extend  one-fourth  of  an 
inch. 

3.  Fold  the  end  of  the  bias  strip,  and  then  fold  one 
edge  over  so  that  it  meets  the  other. 

4.  Baste  with  even  basting  close  to  the  cord. 

5.  If  it  is  intended  to  use  the  cording  as  a  facing,  con- 
sider this  fact  in  preparing  the  material  to  cover  it.   Place 
the  cord  as  above  and  turn  the  edge  over  so  that  one  edge 
of  the  bias  strip  just  covers  the  cord,  the  other  edge  extend- 
ing beyond  it.     See  Illustration  No.  36. 

6.  Baste  close  to  the  cord. 

7.  Holding  the  cord  downwards,  place  the  wrong  side  of 

*  Advanced  work. 

(5)  65 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

the  strip  to  the  right  side  of  what  represents  vthe  garment, 
keeping  the  raw  edge  of  the  fold  even  with  raw  edges  of 
the  garment. 

8.'  Sew  close  to  the  cord  with  a  backstitch. 

9.  Fold  the  cording  back  to  the  wrong  side,  and  press 
the  garment  evenly  against  it  at  the  top,  to  make  the  cord 
set  well  at  the  edge. 

10.  Hem  the  extended  edge  down  on  the  wrong  side  for 
a  facing. 

11.  Do  not  allow  the  hemming  stitches  to  show  through 
on  the  right  side. 

What  is  known  as  piping  is  merely  an  edge  applied  as 
a  finish  to  bias  folds,  scanty  ruffles,  etc.,  and  consists  of 
a  bias  strip  of  contrasting  or  similar  goods  doubled,  with 
the  folded  edge  allowed  to  show. 


ILL. 


.—Cording,  with  Material  Extending  to  be  Used  as  a  Facing. 
66 


'XIV.     BINDINGS.* 

A  binding  is  used  to  strengthen  and  protect  the  raw 
edges  of  a  garment  by  covering  them  with  a  folded  tape, 
ribbon,  braid,  etc. 

Flannel  binding  is  a  thin  kind  of  tape  with  a  silky 
finish. 

Galloon  or  Persian  binding  has  a  silky  finish,  with  a 
sort  of  a  herringbone  weave  on  the  surface. 

These  bindings  come  in  various  widths,  half -inch  being 
the  most  common. 

MATEBIALS. — The  materials  required  for  this  lesson 
are :  A  piece  of  flannel  one-half  yard  long ;  a  piece  of  skirt 
braid,  ribbon,  or  Persian  binding  one-half  inch  wide; 
needles,  "sharps" ;  sewing  silk  or  cotton,  according  to  ma- 
terials; scissors;  tape  measure. 

1.  Begin  at  the  right-hand  side. 

2.  Place  the  binding  on  the  edge  of  the  flannel  so  that, 
when  finished,  one-third  of  the  width  of  the  binding  will 
be  on  the  right  side  and  two-thirds  on  the  wrong  side  of 
the  garment ;  or  it  may  be  made  alike  on  both  sides. 

3.  Hold  the  binding  firmly   and   ease   the  flannel   in 
slightly,  so  as  to  keep  the  edges  from  puckering. 

4.  Take  a  few  running  stitches  across  the  end  of  the 
braid  to  prevent  it  from  spreading. 

'Advanced  work. 

67 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

5.  Either  hem  or  stitch  it  on  the  right  side ;  afterwards 
hemming  it  down  on  the  wrong  side.     Or    it    may    be 
stitched,  or  sewed  with  a  running  stitch,  directly  through 
both  edges.     The  latter  method  is  used  in  binding  the 
seams  of  dresses ;  in  this  case  the  binding  must  be  placed 
evenly  on  both  sides. 

6.  Another  way  is  to  lay  the  binding  flat  on  the  right 
side  of  the  goods  about  one-sixteenth  of  an  inch  from  the 
edge. 

7.  Sew  with  a  running  and  an  occasional  backstitch. 

8.  Turn  the  braid  over,  press  it  down  as  flat  as  possible, 
and  hem  it  to  the  wrong  side  of  the  material. 

9.  Be  careful  that  the  stitches  do  not  go  through  to  the 
right  side. 

10.  In  turning  the  braid  over,  it  may  be  allowed  to  form 
a  slight  cord  on  the  right  side  if  desired. 

11.  Before  joining,  take  a  few  stitches  across  each  end 
of  the  braid  to  prevent  it  from  spreading. 

12.  Then  overseam  the  edges  together. 

NOTE. — In  binding  flannel,  the  binding  is  sometimes  basted  on  both  sides 
and  secured  by  feather  stitching  on  the  right  side. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUR. 

1.  The  binding  may  be  put  on  too  loose,  thus  giving  it 
a  wrinkled  appearance. 

2.  The  corners  may  be  drawn  or  not  tacked  securely. 

3.  The  binding  may  not  be  placed  far  enough  away 
from  the  raw  edges  of  the  material,  thus  causing  it  to 
break  away  when  the  flannel  is  washed. 

68 


XV.     MITRED   CORNERS. 

The  seam  used  in  mitring  corners  is  formed  by  joining 
two  pieces  of  materials  together,  each  cut  at  an  angle  of 
45  degrees,  and  sewing  them  so  as  to  form  a  right  angle. 

MATERIALS. — These  materials  are  required  for  this  les- 
son :  Two  strips  of  material  four  inches  wide ;  needles,  "be- 
tweens"  or  "ground  downs" ;  cotton ;  scissors ;  tape 
measures. 

1.  Fold  the  corners  of  the  strips  to  be  mitred  on  a  true 
bias,  and  crease. 

2.  Cut  with  the  inside  of  the  crease  up. 


ILL.  37.— Material  Cut  and  Sewed. 


ILL.  38.— A  Mitred  Corner. 


3.  Place  the  bias  ends  together  with  the  wrong  side  of 

each  piece  out.     See  Illustration  "No.  37. 

69 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


4.  Baste  together  with  even  basting  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  from  the  edge. 

5.  Open  the  seam  and  see  if  it  has  been  correctly  placed. 

6.  Sew  with  a  backstitch  directly  below  the  basting. 

7.  Press  the  seam  open  and  trim  the  corners  neatly. 
See  Illustration  No.  38. 

To  Mitre  the  Corners  of  a  Hem.* 
MATERIALS. — These  materials  are  required :  A  handker- 
chief or  some  similar  article  requiring  a  mitred  corner; 
needles ;  cotton ;  scissors ;  tape  measure. 

1.  Cut  off  the  corner  one-fourth  of  an  inch  deep. 

2.  Fold  the  two  sides  down  one-fourth  of  an  inch  and 
crease  carefully. 

3.  Crease  each  side  down  one  inch  from  the  edge  of  the 
first  turn. 

4.  Mark  where  the  crease  meets  by  a  dot  or  pinhole. 


I  LL.  39.— Mitred  Corner  Cut  and 
Heady  for  First  turn  of  Hem. 

*  Advanced  work. 


ILL.  40.-Mitred  Hem  Basted. 


70 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

See  Illustration  No.  39,  letter  A  representing  dot  or  pin- 
hole. 

5.  Open  all  the  folds  and  make  a  diagonal  crease  across 
the  corner  one-fourth  of  an  inch  outside  the  spot  marked 
by  the  dot  A. 

6.  Cut  on  the  crease  just  made.     See   (B  and  C)  on 
Illustration  No.  39 

7.  Turn  down  the  bias  edge  one-fourth  of  an  inch.     (Be 
careful  not  to.  stretch  it. ) 

8.  Fold  and  baste  the  sides  of  the  hem,  making  the  two 
edges  meet  at  a  right  angle.     See  Illustration  No.  40. 

9.  Hem  carefully,  taking  the  stitches  at  the  mitred  cor- 
ner so  that  they  will  not  show  through  on  the  right  side. 

10.  Test  your  skill  in  this  lesson  by  repeating  the  lesson 
on  similar  corners. 

71 


XVI.     CUTTING  AND  PIECING  ON  THE  BIAS.* 

Materials  used  as  facings  or  bindings  on  curved  edges 
are  frequently  cut  on  the  bias,  because  when  cut  in  this 
way  they  may  be  stretched  to  fit  the  curve. 

Bias  material  is  often  preferred  in  facing  a  straight 
edge  because  it  makes  a  smoother  lining  than  a  straight 
strip  of  cloth.  Ruffles  are  frequently  cut  on  the  bias. 

When  several  bias  strips  are  required,  they  can  be  easily 
and  accurately  cut  by  first  folding  and  cutting  the  material 
once  on  a  true  bias  (that  is,  on  a  true  diagonal  line)  ;  then 
by  making  a  paper  measurement  the  width  of  the  strips 
desired  and  dotting  the  material  with  chalk  or  pencil  as  it 
is  measured.  Cut  by  the  dots. 

A  garment  cut  with  bias  seams  is  generally  spoken  of  as 
being  gored.  The  object  in  goring  any  garment  is  to  re- 
duce the  weight  by  taking  out  all  unnecessary  material,  or 
to  improve  the  appearance  by  decreasing  the  fullness  at 
the  hips  and  waist,  and  increasing  it  at  the  bottom.  In 
many  cases  it  is  an  economical  way  of  cutting. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  in  this  lesson  are : 
A  piece  of  muslin  eighteen  inches  square ;  needles ;  cotton 
and  scissors ;  tape  measure. 

1.  Fold  the  material  so  that  the  selvage  or  warp  threads 

*Advanced  work. 

72 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

are  on  a  line  with  one  of  the  woof  threads.     See  Illustra- 
tion No.  42. 

2.  Crease  the  fold.     Open  it  out  with  the  inside  of  the 
crease  up. 

3.  Cut  on  the  crease. 


ILL.  41.— Material  Cut  on  a  Bias,  Such  as      ILL.  42.  -Material  Folded  for  Bias 
would  be  Required  in  Underclothing.  Cutting. 

To  Cut  a  Bias  Strip. 

1.  Make  a  paper  measurement  the  width  of  the  strips 
wanted. 

2.  Measure  down  from  the  cut  edge  the  distance  re- 
quired for  the  strip  and  dot  at  every  four  inches. 

3.  Continue  measuring  and  dotting  row  after  row  until 
a  sufficient  number  of  strips  have  been  measured  off. 

4.  Cut  on  the  line  of  dots.     Or  you  may  measure  each 
end  and  mark  it  by  drawing  a  chalked  line  across. 

^f^p 

Xw- 

ILL.  43.— Bias  Strips  in  Position  before  Joining. 
73 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Bias  Piecing. 

1.  With  the  wrong  side  up,  place  the  strips  on  the  desk 
in  the  proper  position  for  sewing.     See  Illustration  No  43. 

2.  Place  the  pieces  marked  A  and  B  with  the  wrong  side 
of  each  piece  out,  the  edges  and  ends  that  are  to  meet, 

even. 

3.  Move  the   edge  of  the 
upper    piece   until   it   corre- 
sponds in  position  with  Il- 
lustration No.  44. 

4.  Hold  the  edges  firmly; 
baste    across   from   A   to   B 

ILL.  44.-Bias  Pieces  Sewed  Together.    ^^  eyen  Casting. 

5.  Open  out  the  work  on  the  desk  and  see  if  it  is  prop- 
erly placed  together. 

6.  Sew  with  a  backstitch. 

7.  Press  open  the  seam  and  cut  off  the  corners  that  ex- 
tend. 

8.  Join  the  next  piece  in  a  similar  manner. 

74 


XVII.     GATHERING. 

Gathering  is  a  stitch  used  to  compress  by  the  use  of 
plaits  or  even  wrinkles  a  portion  of  the  material  which  re- 
quires to  be  drawn  into  a  smaller  space;  this  is  necessary 
to  give  ease  and  looseness  to  certain  parts  of  garments. 

Double  thread  is  used  in  gathering,  in  case  one  thread 
should  break  while  the  gathers  are  being  placed.  A  double 
thread  also  helps  to  keep  the  gathers  in  place. 

The  material  to  be  gathered  should  be  divided  into 
halves,  quarters,  or  eighths,  according  to  its  width. 

MATEEIALS. — The  materials  required  in  learning  to 
gather  are :  Sharp  needles ;  cotton ;  scissors ;  pins ;  a  prac- 
tice piece  twelve  inches  across  the  material ;  tape  measure. 

1.  Find  the  middle  of  the  edge  to  be  gathered  and  mark 
the  place  by  cutting  a  small  notch. 

2.  Use  double  thread  (the  length  of  the  thread  to  be  reg- 
ulated by  the  material  to  be  gathered). 

3.  Begin  the  gathering  with  a  knot  and  several  back- 
stitches. 

4.  Hold  the  wrong  side  of  the  material  towards  you. 

5.  Take  up  two  threads  on  the  needle  and  go  over  four ; 
or,  in  other  words,  the  material  taken  up  on  the  needle 

should  be  one-half  the  quantity  of  that  passed  over.  Threads 

75 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  45.- Gathering  Stitches.    Centre  of  Material  Marked  by  Notch. 

should  not  be  counted  after  you  become  familiar  with  the 
length  of  the  stitch. 

6.  Take  up  as  many  stitches  on  the  needle  as  possible 
and  press  them  up  against  the  thimble  before  drawing  it 
through ;  this  helps  to  place  the  gathers.     See  Illustration 
ATo.  45. 

7.  When  the  gathering  is  finished  remove  the  needle 
from  the  thread  and  make  a  knot  on  the  end  of  the  thread. 

8.  Place  a  pin  vertically  close  to  the  last  stitch. 

9.  Draw  the  gathering  thread  up  and  wind  it  around 
the  pin. 

10.  Pull  the  gathers  into  place  by  holding  the  top  edge 
with  the  left  hand,  and  drawing  the  material  down  with 
the  right,  making  a  rotary  movement  while  doing  so.    This 
will  do  away  with  the  bunched  appearance  of  gathers  and 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

will  make  them  look  like  plaits ;  it  is  good  preparation  for 
stroking.     See  Illustration  No.  46. 

11.  In  stroking  the  gathers,  use  a  rather  coarse  needle. 

12.  Hold  the  work  between  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of 
the  left  hand,   keeping  the  thumb  below  the  gathering 
thread. 

13.  Put  the  point  of  the  needle  under  each  stitch,  hold- 
ing it  obliquely.     Make  a  short,  quick  stroke.     See  Illus- 
tration No.  47. 

14.  Press  the  needle  towards  the  thumb,  bringing  the 
little  plait  under  the  thumb  and  drawing  the  needle  down- 
wards. 

15.  Do  not  allow  the  needle  to  make  a  scratching  sound 
when  stroking,  as  there  is  danger  of  tearing  the  fabric. 

16.  Stroke  the  material  on  the  right  side,  as  well  as  the 
wrong  side,  when  necessary. 

The  gathering  is  now  ready  to  be  sewed  to  the  band. 


ILL.  46.— Gathering  Drawn  Up  with  Pin  in  Position. 
77 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUR  IN  GATHERING. 

1.  Material  for  gathering  not  properly  prepared,  so  that 
the  stitches  run  with  the  warp  instead  of  the  woof. 

2.  Gathering  stitches  irregular. 

3.  Materials  scratched  in  stroking. 


ILL.  47.-  Stroking  the  Gathers. 

Fjench  or  Dress  Gathering. 

French  gathering  is  generally  used  in  drawing  up  the 
fullness  at  the  back  of  skirts,  when  a  large  quantity  of 
heavy  material  has  to  be  gathered  into  a  small  compass. 

The  stitch  and  space  may  be  increased  according  to  full- 
ness, but  care  should  be  taken  to  retain  correct  propor- 
tions. 

This  gathering,  when  drawn  up,  will  form  small  plaits 
and  does  not  require  to  be  stroked. 

78 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  48.— French  or  Dress  Gathers. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are :  A  practice 
piece  arranged  so  that  there  will  be  fifteen  inches  across 
the  muslin ;  needles,  "sharps" ;  cotton ;  scissors ;  pins ;  tape 
measure. 

1.  Hem  the  sides  of  the  material. 

2.  Fold  down  the  top  edge  one-half  inch  on  the  wrong 
side. 

3.  Mark  the  centre  by  a  cross-stitch. 

4.  Use  double  thread  a  little  longer  than  the  material  to 
be  gathered. 

5.  Make  a  knot  on  the  end  of  the  thread. 

6.  Hold  the  right  side  towards  you. 

7.  Insert  the  needle  through  the  edge  turned  down  so 
as  to  bring  the  knot  in  between  the  fold  and  hide  it. 

8.  Make  two  overseaming  stitches. 

9.  Take  up  on  the  needle  one-sixteenth  and  go  over  one- 
fourth  of  an  inch. 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

10.  Gather  as  close  as  possible  to  the  top  edge. 

11.  Remove  the  needle,  but  do  not  draw  up  the  thread. 

12.  Make  the  second  row  of  gathering  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  below  the  first,  taking  each  stitch  directly  beloiv  the 
one  above  it.     See  Illustration  E"o.  48. 

13.  Remove  this  needle  also. 

14.  Take  hold  of  both  threads  near  the  muslin,  and 
gradually  draw  the  gathers  up  to  the  required  length ;  they 
will  now  form  distinct  plaits  or  flutes,  and  will  not  require 
any  placing  or  stroking. 

The  gathering  is  now  ready  to  sew  to  the  band. 

Gathering  for  Ruffles,   Frills,   Flounces,  etc. 

In  making  ruffles,  care  should  be  taken  in  sewing  the 
various  widths  together,  as  the  fullness  causes  the  ruffle  to 
flare  and  show  the  seams. 

In  fine  cotton  goods,  the  seams  should  be  made  with  run- 
ning stitches.  In  woolen  material  or  silk,  they  should  be 
sewed  and  then  pressed  open,  and  where  they  have  cut  or 
torn  edges,  and  are  disposed  to  fray,  the  edges  should  be 
overcast. 

The  piece  to  be  gathered  should  be  taken  from  the  width 
of  the  material,  as  the  fullness  is  easier  to  arrange  and  the 
stroking  has  more  effect  upon  the  width  than  the  length. 
Ruffles  are  frequently  cut  on  the  bias. 

Once  and  a  half  is  generally  considered  a  sufficient 
amount  of  fullness  for  a  ruffle. 

In  turning  a  corner,  put  more  fullness  into  the  ruffle  at 
that  point  to  prevent  it  hooping  at  the  edge.  The  rule  is 
to  allow  twice  the  width  of  the  ruffle.  For  instance,  if  the 

80 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

ruffle  is  four  inches  wide,  put  eight  inches  in  fullness  at 
the  corner. 

When  putting  on  a  gathered  flounce,  never  guess  at  the 
uniformity  of  the  fullness.  Measure  the  work  off  in  sec- 
tions, pinning  the  gathered  piece  at  each  section.  By  so 
doing  you  will  avoid  ruffles  that  are  too  full  in  one  place 
and  too  skimpy  in  another. 

In  many  laces,  such  as  Valenciennes,  Torchon,  etc., 
there  will  be  found  a  thread  close  to  the  top  which  takes 
the  place  of  a  gathering  thread,  and  by  which  the  fullness 
can  be  arranged  with  great  exactness. 

As  it  is  important  that  the  pattern  in  lace  should  show, 
it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  requires  very  little  full- 
ness, except  at  the  corners. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  piece  of 
muslin  one-half  yard  long  and  five  inches  wide;  needles, 
"sharps"  ;  cotton ;  scissors ;  tape  measure. 

1.  Mark  with  cross-stitches  the  half  and  quarter  of  your 
material  the  same  as  in  other  gathering. 

2.  Hold  the  right  or  wrong  side  towards  you,  according 
as  you  will  sew  the  ruffle  when  finished,  to  the  right  or 
wrong  side  of  your  cloth. 

3.  Gather  with*  ordinary  running  stitches,   taking  as 
many  stitches  on  the  needle  as  possible,  and  if  the  mate- 
rial is  such  as  would  require  placing  or  stroking,  press 
them  up  against  the  thimble  before  drawing  it  through. 

4.  When  doing  practical  work,  never  gather  more  than 
one-fourth  of  the  entire  ruffle  on  one  thread. 

5.  Place  the  gathers,  if  necessary,  and  arrange  them  to 
suit  the  place  they  are  to  occupy. 

(6)  81 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Gathering  with  a  Shell  Edge. 

This  sort  of  gathering  is  used  generally  on  light-weight 
silk  or  woolen  materials,  and  takes  the  place  of  a  separate 
trimming  at  the  top  of  a  ruffle. 

A  narrow  ribbon  gathered  in  this  way  will  make  a  very 
pretty  trimming  for  children's  dresses. 

Match  carefully  the  sewing  silk  or  thread  used,  and 
guard  against  the  forming  of  knots  in  the  gathering  thread. 

MATERIALS.  —  The  materials  required  are:  A  piece 
of  challis,  or  other  soft  woolen  material,  eighteen 


ILL.  49.— Gathering  Forming  a  Shell  Edge. 

inches  long  and  six  inches  wide;  sewing  silk  or  thread  to 
match ;  "sharp"  needles ;  pencil  and  ruler  or  tape  measure. 

1.  Turn  down  the  top  edge  of  the  ruffle  one  inch  on  the 
wrong  side. 

2.  Baste  it  close  to  the  edge  with  uneven  basting. 

3.  On  the  wrong  side,  beginning  at  the  right-hand  end, 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

mark  the  top  edge  of  the  fold  at  every  inch  and  a  half  with 
French  chalk  or  pencil. 

4.  Three-fourths  of  an  inch  below  the  top  edge,  and 
beginning  three-fourths  of  an  inch  from  the  right-hand 
end,  make  another  row  of  dots  one  and  a  half  inches  apart. 
These  dots  must  alternate  with  those  of  the  upper  row. 

5.  Begin  with  a  small  knot  and  several  backstitches. 
(This  knot  should  be  hid  under  the  turned  edge  if  pos- 
sible.) 

6.  Gather  with  small  running  stitches  from  dot  to  dot. 

7.  Keep  drawing  the  thread  as  you  gather.     See  Illus- 
tration No.  49. 

Shirring.* 

Shirring  is  done  by  making  any  desired  number  of  rows 
of  running  stitches  parallel  with  each  other.  This  is  some- 
times done  by  running  a  very  fine  cord  in  a  tuck  and  draw- 
ing the  cord. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are :  A  piece  of 
material  eighteen  inches  long  and  eight  inches  wide; 
"sharp"  needles;  scissors;  cotton;  tape  measure. 

1.  Begin  with  a  small  knot  and  backstitch. 

2.  Decide  on  the  number  of  rows  wanted  and  the  dis- 
tance apart  of  the  gathering  to  be  made. 

3.  Gather  from  right  to  left,  keeping  the  rows  parallel. 

4.  Use  a  single  thread. 

5.  Instead  of  gathering  one  row  at  a  time,  the  entire 
number  of  rows  may  be  begun  and  carried  on  simulta- 
neously.    See  Illustration  No.  50. 

NOTE. — Mark  the  line  for  shirring  with  uneven  basting  if  necessary. 

*  Advanced  work. 

83 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Whipping  a  Ruffle.* 

Whipping  is  used  only  in  gathering  very  fine  and  sheer 
fabrics. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  strip  of 
fine  cambric  or  lawn  eighteen  inches  long  and  five  inches 
wide;  a  piece  of  similar  material  hemmed;  cotton; 
"sharp"  needles ;  scissors ;  tape  measure. 

1.  Hem  the  ends  and  bottom  of  the  ruffle. 


ILL.  50.— Shirring. 


2.  Mark  by  cross-stitches  at  the  half  and  quarter  lengths. 

3.  Eoll  the  edge.     Follow  the  directions  given  for  roll- 
ing the  hem  in  the  chapter  on  hemming. 

4.  Use  a  small  knot  and  single  thread. 

5.  Whip  the  edge  as  it  is  rolled,  drawing  the  thread  as 
every  two  inches  are  whipped. 


•Advanced  work. 


84 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Sewing  the  Ruffle  to  the  Garment. 

1.  Place  the  wrong  side  of  the  ruffle  to  the  wrong  side 
of  the  garment. 

2.  Pin  the  middle  of  the  ruffle  to  the  middle  of  the  hem 
and  quarter  to  quarter. 

3.  Draw  up  the  ruffle  the  required  length  and  wind  the 
thread  around  a  pin. 

4.  Hold  the  ruffle  towards  you  and  overseam  with  very 
fine  stitches.     See  Illustration  ~No.  51. 

NOTK. — Many  persons  prefer  reversing  the  position  of  the  needle  In  whip- 
ping a  ruffle,  that  is,  slanting  the  needle  from  the  top  down  instead  of  from 
the  underneath  up. 


ILL.  51.  -Overseamins  a  Whipped  Ruffle  to  a  Garment. 

Pmting.* 

Plaiting  is  used  where  tLere  is  a  large  amount  of  mate- 
rial which  should  be  brought  into  small  compass  and  kept 
flat. 


*Advanced  work. 


85 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Fashion  often  requires  its  use  in  ruffles,  and  in  bring- 
ing the  fullness  in  the  back  of  a  skirt  into  the  band. 

In  many  materials,  it  is  necessary  to  baste  the  plaited 
ruffle  in  two  or  three  places  and  press  it  on  the  wrong 
side. 

Plaits  can  be  lapped  if  it  is  necessary  to  bring  a  large 
amount  of  material  into  a  very  small  space,  as  in  the  back 
of  a  skirt. 

They  may  be  turned  either  to  the  right  or  to  the  left. 
Box  plaiting  is  made  by  beginning  at  the  centre  and  lay- 
ing a  plait  to  the  right  and  another  to  the  left ;  double  box 
plaiting  is  made  by  laying  additional  side  plaits. 

A  ruching  or  rose  quilling  may  be  made  by  cutting  the 
material  any  desired  width,  on  the  bias,  and  plaiting  it 
with  a  double  box  plait  through  the  centre. 

MATEKLAJLS. — The  materials  required  for  this  lesson 
are:  A  piece  of  material  representing  a  ruffle,  eighteen 
inches  long  and  five  inches  wide.  The  material  must  be 
three  times  the  length  desired  when  finished:  "sharp" 
needles;  cotton;  scissors;  tape  measure. 

1.  Place  the  material  on  the  desk,  with  the  right  side 
up. 

2.  Lay  a  plait  in  the  material  one-half  inch  deep.    This 
makes  three  layers  of  material,  each  one-half  an  inch  wide 
— the  two  parts  of  the  plait  and  the  material  on  which  it 
rests. 

3.  Make  a  second  plait  in  the  material  one-half  inch 
deep,  bringing  it  exactly  to  the  underfold  of  the  first  plait. 
See  Illustration  No.  52. 

4.  Continue  laying  the  plaits  in  similar  manner. 

86 


Home  and  School   Sewing. 

5.  Baste  with  even  basting  close  to  the  top  edge. 

6.  Baste  in  the  centre  and  lower  edge  if  the  material 
requires  it. 

7.  Press  carefully  on  the  wrong  side  before  taking  out 
the  bastings. 

8.  It  is  often  necessary  to  tack  the  plaiting  on  the  wrong 
side  to  keep  it  in  shape  and  to  prevent  it  from  flaring; 
this  may  be  done  by  using  a  heavy  thread  or  tacking  a 
line  of  tape  to  each  plait ;  these  stitches  must  not  show  on 
the  right  side. 


ILL.  52.— Plaiting. 
87 


XVIII.     BANDS. 

Bands  Sewed  by  Backstitching  and  Hemming. 

A  band  is  a  flat,  flexible  strip  of  material  on  any  article 
of  dress,  serving  to  strengthen  and  confine  it. 

A  band  should  always  be  cut  with  the  warp  of  the  mus- 
lin, as  the  cloth  is  stronger  lengthwise  than  crosswise. 
Never  leave  the  selvage  edge  on  a  band,  as  it  makes  it 
much  harder  to  sew. 

Narrow  bands  are  frequently  cut  on  the  bias. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece  twelve  inches  across,  gathered  with  the  wrong  side 
towards  you  and  stroked;  a  band  two  and  three-quarter 
inches  long  and  two  and  one-quarter  inches  wide ;  scissors ; 
needles,  "betweens"  or  "ground  downs";  cotton;  pins; 
tape  measure. 

1.  Mark  the  middle  of  the  band  by  folding  it  in  half  and 
cutting  a  very  small  notch  in  each  edge.  See  Illustration 
No.  53. 


ILL.  63.— A  Band  Cut  with  Pieces  Extending  for  Button  and  Buttonhole 
(to  be  folded  over  on  the  crease). 

88 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  54.— Gathers  Basted  to  Band  Ready  for  Backstitching. 

2.  Cut  the  band  with  a  piece  extending  at  each  end  for 
the  purpose  of  strengthening  it  where  buttons  and  button- 
holes are  to  be  placed. 

3.  Prepare  the  gathers  by  taking  out  the  pin  and  loosen- 
ing them. 

4.  Hold  the  wrong  side  of  the  gathered  piece  towards 
you;  place  the  right  side  of  the  gathers  against  the  right 
side  of  the  band,  middle  of  band  to  the  middle  of  the 
gathers,  edges  exactly  even. 

5.  Put  a  pin  in  vertically  to  hold  them  together  in  the 
middle. 

6.  Pin  the  end  of  the  gathers  one-fourth  of  an  inch  from 
each  end  of  the  band. 

7.  Adjust  the  gathers  so  that  the  fullness  is  evenly  dis- 
tributed and  they  are  the  proper  length  for  the  band. 

8.  Wrap  the  gathering  thread  around  the  pin. 

9.  Hold    the    gathers    towards  you;   baste  with  even 
basting  directly  on  top  of  the  gathering  thread. 

89 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

10.  Sew  directly  tinder  the  basting  with  a  backstitch. 
Take  as  short  a  stitch  as  possible.    See  Illustration  No.  54. 

11.  Fasten  the  ends  of  the  gathering  thread  and  take 
out  the  basting. 

12.  Turn  down  the  ends  and  other  side  of  the  band. 

13.  Fold  the  band  over  so  that  it  will  just  cover  the 
line  of  stitching. 

14.  Baste  with  even  basting. 

15.  Sew  the  ends  with  overseaming  and  the  edges  with 
hemming,  beginning  at  A  and  overseaming  to  B,   hem- 
ming to  C  and  overseaming  to  D. 

16.  Do  not  allow  the  hemming  stitches  to  show  through 
on  the  right  side.     See  Illustration  No.  55. 


ILL.  55.— Band  Completed. 

Band  Hemmed  to  the  Gathers. 

A  band  such  as  would  be  used  on  a  shirt  sleeve  or 
other  fine  needlework  is  hemmed  to  the  gathers  in  the  way 

described  in  this  lessonJ 

90 


Home  and   School  Sewing. 

In  preparing  the  gathering  for  this  band,  the  material 
must  be  held  with  the  right  side  towards  you. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece  of  soft  bleached  muslin,  twelve  inches  across,  gath- 
ered with  the  right  side  towards  you  and  stroked ;  a 
band  two  and  three-fourths  inches  long  and  two  and  one- 
fourth  inches  wide;  needles;  cotton;  scissors;  pins;  tape 
measure. 

1.  Turn  down  the  long  edge  of  the  band  one-fourth  of 
an  inch. 

2.  Mark  the  middle  of  the  band  by  either  a  pin  or  a 
stitch. 

3.  Hold  the  right  side  of  the  gathers  toward  you. 

4.  Pin  the  middle  of  the  edge  of  the  band  to  the  middle 
of  the  gathers  each  with  the  right  side  out. 

5.  Pin  the  end  of  the  gathers  one-fourth  of  an  inch 
from  the  edge  of  the  band. 

6.  Wrap  the  gathering  thread  around  the  pin. 

7.  Adjust  the  gathers  so  that  the  fullness  is  evenly  dis- 
tributed.    See  Illustration  No.  56. 

8.  Baste  the  band  down  with  even  basting. 

9.  Hem  on  the  right   side,   taking  a  hemming  stitch 
through  each  gather. 

10.  Turn  the  other  edge  and  ends  down,  taking  care 
that  the  edge  of  the  band  corresponds  with  the  opposite 
side,  in  order  that  the  band  may  not  be  twisted. 

11.  Fold  the  band  over  so  that  it  will  just  cover  the 
gathering  stitches. 

12.  Baste  with  even  basting. 

13.  Finish  by  overseaming  the  ends  and  hemming  the 

91 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  56.— Band  Basted  to  the  Gathers  Ready  for  First  Hemming. 

edge  as  in  a  band  backstitched  to  the  gathers.      (Direction 
15  of  the  preceding  lesson.) 

Band  Overseamed  to  the  Gathers. 

This  band  is  generally  used  on  lined  skirts.  If  the  skirt 
is  very  heavy,  two  overseaming  stitches  should  be  taken 
through  each  gather  when  sewing  it  to  the  band. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece,  fifteen  inches  across,  gathered  with  French  gathers ; 
a  band  three  inches  long  and  two  and  one-half  inches  wide ; 
scissors;  needles,  "betweens"  or  "ground  downs";  cotton; 
pins;  tape  measure. 

1.  Turn  down  the  four  sides  of  the  band  one-fourth  of 
an  inch. 

92 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

2.  Fold  the  band  over  and  baste  the  edges  neatly. 

3.  Find  the  centre  of  the  band  and  mark  it  with  a  stitch. 

4.  Place  the  centre  of  the  band  to  the  centre  of  the 
gathers. 

5.  Band  to  be  placed  on  the  right  side. 

6.  The  ends  of  the  material  gathered  to  the  ends  of  the 
band. 

7.  Fasten  with  a  pin  or  loose  overseaming  stitch,  the 
latter  preferred. 

8.  Wind  the  gathering  thread  around  a  pin. 

9.  In  sewing,  hold  the  band  towards  you. 

10.  Overseam  the  gathers  to  the  band  by  taking  a  stitch 
through  the  front  part  of  each  little  plait  or  flute.     See 
Illustration  No.  57. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUK  IN  SEWING  ON  BANDS. 

1.  Band  twisted  when  finished. 

2.  Incorrect  slant  to  stitches. 

3.  Gathers  not  evenly  distributed. 

4.  A  lack  of  neatness;  general  clumsy  appearance. 


ILL.  57. -Band  Ovei seamed  to  French  Gathers. 
93 


XIX.     DARNING. 

Dress  Darning — Straight  Tear. 

In  darning,  the  parts  of  a  fabric  that  are  torn  or  sep- 
arated should  be  united  by  inserting  new  threads  in  a 
manner  as  nearly  like  weaving  as  possible.  Quality, 
texture,  and  color  should  be  considered  in  selecting  mate- 
rials with  which  to  darn  colored  or  figured  fabrics.  Ex- 
amine the  groundwork  of  the  material  and  match  the  pre- 
dominating shade. 

In  fine  linen,  the  darning  should  be  done  before  sending 
it  to  the  laundry. 

If  the  material  is  much  strained,  it  may  be  well  first  to 
draw  the  edges  together  with  basting  stitches,  which  should 
be  taken  out  after  the  darn  is  completed,  or  to  baste  a  piece 
of  material  under  the  torn  place  and  darn  the  edges  of  the 
tear  down  on  it. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  in  a  darning  les- 
son are:  Needles,  "sharps"  or  fine  embroidery  needles; 
scissors;  cashmere  challis  or  some  similar  material  to  be 
darned ;  tape  measure. 

This  table  shows  the  threads  that  should  be  used  in  or- 
dinary darning: 

Ravelings  of    the  material  (warp 

Silk 
Filoselle. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

i 


For  darning  linen  fabrics 


For  darning  cotton  fabrics . . 


For  darning  alpaca  or  mohair. . 


Linen  floss 

or 
Flourishing  thread. 

Cotton  thread  corresponding  in 
thickness  with  finest  thread  in 
the  fabric. 

Hair 
or 
Fine  silk. 


In  all  darning,  a  needle  should  be  selected  which  will 
carry  the  thread  easily.    This  thread  is  usually  soft  (that 
is,  not  twisted  as  tightly  as  ordinary  thread)  ;  consequently 
there  is  a  tendency  to  form 
a   lump   in   the   eye   of   the 
needle    (if  too  fine),   which 
has  to  be  dragged  in  and  out 
of  the  stuff,  injuring  not  only 
the    material,    but    also    the 
thread  or  silk  used  in  darn- 


ing. 

Your  materials  being 
ready,  proceed  as  follows: 

1.  Baste  an  outline  around 
the  tear,  beginning  one- 
fourth  of  an  inch  above  and 
continuing  it  the  same  dis- 
tance below.  (Illustration 

No.  58.)  If  the  material  is  dragged  or  strained,  it  may 
be  necessary  to  extend  the  outline  and  hold  the  material 
in  shape  with  running  stitches  before  beginning  to  darn. 
See  Illustration  No.  59. 

95 


ILL.  58.-Bastmf-  Defining  Length 
and  Width  of  Darn. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  59.— Preparation  for  Daring 
when  Material  is  Ragged. 


2.  The  width  of  the  darn 
is  determined  by  the  width 
of  the  tear.     (Half  an  inch  is 
a  good  width  for  an  ordinary 
darn.) 

3.  Use  short  threads.     Do 
not  use  a  knot  or  backstitch. 

4.  Hold    the    darn    over 
the   first   finger   of   the   left 
hand. 

5.  Begin  at  A  and  make  a 
horizontal  line  of  very  fine 
running  stitches  to  B. 

6.  Make  a  second  row  back 
to  A,  leaving  a  very  small  loop  at  the  end  of  each  row  of 
darning  to  allow  for  shrinkage. 

7.  The  stitches  and  spaces 
in  the  last  row  must  alter- 
nate   with    the    stitches    and 
spaces     in     the    row     above 
it. 

8.  The  edges  of  the  tear 
should    be    picked    up    and 
dropped   alternately. 

9.  Continue    the    darning 
until    the    outline    is    filled 
with   darning   stitches.      See 
Illustration   No.    60. 

10.  Darn    on    either    the 
right  or  wrong  side  of  the 

96 


ILL.  60.— Dress  Darn  (Begin  to  Daru 
at  A). 


Home  and  School   Sewing. 

material,   according  to  the  fabric  and  part  of  the  gar- 
ment torn. 

Angular  Dress  Darn. 

In  cases  where  the  tear  is  much  raveled,  put  a  piece  of 
material  under  the  tear  and  darn  the  garment  down  on  it. 

Cut  the  piece  larger  than  the  tear.  Be  careful  to  match 
the  grain  of  the  cloth  as  well  as  the  figures  and  stripes  in 
the  material. 

Draw  the  tear  into  place  and  baste  the  right  side  of  the 
piece  to  the  wrong  side  of  the  garment ;  match  it  exactly. 

If  the  hole  is  large,  darn  the  sides  of  the  tear  separately, 
weaving  the  ravelings  in  as  you  come  to  them. 

After  the  darn  is  finished,  tack  the  piece  lightly  to  the 
garment  on  the  wrong  side,  or  cut  it  off. 

MATERIALS.  —  Materials  required :  Same  as  for  dress 
darning.  See  preceding  lesson. 

The  process  is  made  easy  by  the  help  of  the  illustration 
(No.  61). 

1.  Outline  darn  by  basting. 

2.  While  drawing  the  needle  and  thread  through  the 
material,  hold  the  two  edges  of  the  tear  firmly  over  the 
first  finger  of  the  left  hand  to  prevent  it  from  fraying. 

3.  Begin  at  the  angle  marked  1  and  make  a  row  of  run- 
ning stitches  out  to  2. 

4.  Make  a  second  row  back  to  1. 

5.  Make  a  third  row  out  to  3. 

6.  Make  a  fourth  row  back  to  1. 

7.  Continue  so  doing  until  the  triangle  thus  formed  is 
completely  filled,  finally  bringing  the  needle  back  to  1. 

8.  Next  make  a  row  of  stitches  out  to  4. 
(7)  97 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  61.— Corner  of  Angular  Dress 
Darii. 


9.  Make  the  following  row 
back  to  1. 

10.  Make  a  row  to  2. 

11.  Then     a     row     back 
tol. 

12.  Continue  until  this  tri- 
angle has   been  filled.      See 
Illustration  No.  61. 

13.  After   completing  the 
corner,  finish  the  darn  in  the 
same  manner  as  in  the  lesson 
on  the  straight  tear. 

14.  Dampen  very  slightly 
and  press  on  the  wrong  side. 


Strengthening  Darn. 

This  darn  consists  merely  of  several  rows  of  running 
stitches  running  with  the 
warp  of  the  material,  and 
is  used  to  strengthen  weak 
places  where  a  hole  has  not 
actually  been  worn.  It  may 
be  of  almost  any  geomet- 
rical shape,  that  of  a  dia- 
mond being  the  most  de- 
sirable, as  in  this  shape 
the  strain  will  not  come 
on  one  line  of  weav- 
ing. See  Illustration 

No.  62. 

98 


ILL.  62.— Strengthening  Darn. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


Bias  Darn. 

A  bias  darn  is  used  in  mending  a  cut  or  tear  running 
across  either  the  warp  or  woof. 

MATERIALS.  —  The    mate-     .^.u™,., 
rials  required  for  the  lesson         M[[  nj' 
are  the  same  as  those  for  the 
straight  darn. 

1.  Outline  the  length  and 
width  of  the  darn,  following 
the  line  of  the  tear. 

2.  Use  short  threads  and 
begin  without  a  knot. 

3.  Begin    darning    at    A, 
running  the  line  of  darning 
diagonally  across  the  warp  of 
the  material.      See  Illustra- 
tion No.  63. 

4.  Continue     as     in    directions    given    for     straight 
tear. 

Stocking-Web  Darn. 

This  darn  is  used  on  linen  where  an  actual  hole  has 
been  worn  in  the  material. 

The  bias  and  stocking-web  darn  are  frequently  used  on 
table  linens  to  repair  holes  made  by  the  careless  use  of  a 
knife. 

In  this  darn,  the  loops  left  along  the  edge  are  sometimes 
cut. 

MATERIALS.  —  The  materials  required  are :  Needles, 
"sharps"  or  fine  embroidery  needles;  scissors;  linen  floss, 
and  a  piece  of  table  linen  requiring  mending. 

99 


ILL.  63.— Darning  a  Bias  Tear. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

1.  Trim  off  all  loose  or  frayed  edges. 

2.  Begin    as    far    outside  the  hole  as  is  necessary  to 
strengthen  the  fabric. 

3.  Insert  the  threads  representing  the  warp. 

4.  Allow  a  loop  to  extend  at  each  row  of  darning. 

5.  Finish  by  weaving  in  the  threads  representing  the 
woof.     See  Illustration  ~No.  64. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  BE  MADE  IN  DAKNING. 

1.  The  darn  not  extended  far  enough  to  cover  worn  place. 

2.  The  thread  at  the  sides  drawn  instead  of  leaving  a 
loop. 

3.  The  work  not  flat  when  finished. 

4.  Carelessness  in  matching  material  for  darning. 


ILL.  64.-Stocking-Web  Darn. 
100 


Home  and  School  Sewing,,  : 


Stocking  Darning. 

Stocking  darning  is  used  to  repair  a  hole  in  any  fabric 
woven  with  the  loop  or  stocking  stitch.  From  its  similar- 
ity to  weaving,  it  is  sometimes  called  hand  weaving. 

The  stocking  should  be  darned  on  the  right  side  of  the 
foot  and  the  wrong  side  of  the  leg. 

The  size  of  the  darn  depends  on  the  size  of  the  hole  and 
on  the  condition  of  the  fabric  around  the  hole. 

The  shape  may  be  either  a  square  on  its  sides,  a  square 
on  its  diagonals,  or  rounded  to  conform  to  the  shape  of  the 
hole. 

A  darn  in  the  shape  of  a  square  on  its  diagonals,  or 
made  to  conform  to  the  shape  of  the  hole,  is  preferred  be- 
cause in  this  way  the  strain  is  evenly  distributed,  each 
new  thread  of  darning  coming  on  a  new  line  of  weaving. 

Always  darn  holes  as  soon  as  they  appear. 

A  strengthening  darn  (stitches  running  lengthwise)  is 
extremely  useful  for  strengthening  the  toe  and  heel  of  the 
stocking;  this  should  be  put  in  as  soon  as  the  stocking 
shows  signs  of  wear. 

Laces,  especially  those  with  a  groundwork  or  founda- 
tion of  bobbinet,  are  frequently  mended  by  darning;  in 
fact,  many  real  laces  are  made  by  outlining  or  darning  a 
pattern  on  some  meshed  material. 

Darning  would  not  be  considered  such  a  -task  if  it  were 
looked  upon  as  lace-making,  which  it  is  in  a  humble  way. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are :  A  stocking 
which  the  pupil  should  bring  from  home;  a  darning 
needle  No.  6  (a  medium  number)  ;  darning  cotton  (must 
be  selected  to  suit  the  stocking  in  both  color  and  quality). 

101 


HDbmd".and  School  Sewing. 

Then  proceed  this  way: 

1.  Select  a  small  hole  as  the  one  to  be  darned. 

2.  Hold  the  left  hand  up,  curving  the  first  finger  and 
thumb  in  the  shape  of  the  letter  C.     See  Illustration  No. 
65. 


ILL.  65.— Position  of  the  Left  Hand  in  Stocking  Darning. 

3.  Rest  hands  and  try  it  again,  repeating  the  exercise 
until  you  can  hold  the  fingers  in  position  comfortably. 

4.  Draw  the  stocking  over  the  left  hand,  with  the  hand 
in  this  position. 

5.  See  that  the  weave  representing  the  warp  of  the  stock- 
ing runs  parallel  with  the  arm. 

6.  Hold  the  stocking  firmly,  but  not  stretched,  over  the 

left  hand,  with  the  hole  in  the  centre  of  the  formed  C. 

102 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  66.— First  Part  of  the  Darn,  Showing  the  Outline. 

7.  Gather  all  extra  fullness  into  the  palm  of  the  hand. 

8.  Outline  the  size  and  shape  of  the  darn  by  basting 
with  uneven  basting  one-half  inch  outside  the  hole.    The 
darn  is  frequently  made  the  shape  of  the  hole  instead  of  a 
square  on  its  diagonals.     See  Illustration  No.  66. 

9.  Begin  at  1,  pointing  the  needle  from  you,  and  make 
two  small  running  stitches. 

10.  Leave  a  half  inch  of  thread;  do  not  use  a  knot  or 
backstitch. 

11.  With  the  needle  pointing  towards  you,  make  the 
next  row  of  stitches,  taking  up  the  threads  of  the  stocking 
that  were  passed  over  in  the  preceding  row. 

12.  So  continue  each  row,  letting  the  outline  of  basting 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

stitches  define  the  termination  of  each  row,  being  careful 
to  leave  the  thread  loose  at  each  end  to  form  a  loop  to 
allow  for  shrinkage  and  elasticity  of  weave. 

13.  When  the  hole  is  reached,  take  the  stitches  over  one 
edge  and  under  the  opposite  edge,  reversing  this  when 
coming  back  on  next  row  of  darning. 

14.  Continue  making  each  row  a  little  longer  until  2 
and  3  are  reached.     (See  Illustration  No.  66.)     Then  de- 
crease in  the  same  proportion  to  4. 

Filling  in  the  Darn. 

1.  Begin  weaving  at  No.  5  and  pass  the  needle  under 
the  first  stitch  and  over  the  second,  under  the  third  and 
over  the  fourth,  and  so  on.  In  returning,  pass  over  the 
threads  taken  up  before  and  under  the  threads  left  down. 


>     «* 


ILL.  67,— Weaving  the  Darn  (the  Shape  of  Darn  a  Square  on  its  Diagonals). 

104 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  68.— Weaving  the  Darn  (Round  in  Shape). 

2.  Keep  each  row  of  darning  as  close  as  possible  to  the 
preceding  one.     See  Illustrations  Nos.  67  and  68. 

3.  In  mending  a  large  hole,  smooth  out  the  rough  edges, 
then  take  a  fine  needle  and  thread  and  overcast  the  edges, 
bringing  them  as  near  as  possible  to  the  proper  position. 
Darn  in  the  regular  way. 

THREADING  THE  NEEDLE. 

1.  To  thread  a  darning  or  zephyr  needle,  hold  the  needle 
between  the  thumb  and  first  finger  of  the  left  hand. 

2.  Fold  a  loop  of  the  thread  over  the  end  of  the  needle. 

3.  Withdraw  the  needle  and  pass  the  eye  of  the  needle 
over  the  loop  of  the  darning  cotton. 

105 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


Kid  Glove  Mending. 

MATERIALS.  —  The  materials  required  are :  Glover's 
needles,  or  No.  11  or  12  "betweens";  fine  cotton  is  pre- 
ferred to  silk ;  be  careful  to  have  the  cotton  match  the  glove 
in  color. 

1.  If  the  rent  is  very  large  and  a  piece  of  kid  can  be 
obtained  to  match,  place  the  patch  of  kid  on  the  wrong 
side  of  the  glove  with  the  right  side  of  the  patch  to  the 
wrong  side  of  the  glove. 

2.  Hem  the  glove  on  the  right  side  to  the  patch. 

3.  Trim  off  all  surplus  kid  on  the  wrong  side. 

4.  If  the  hole  is  small,  or  kid  cannot  be  matched,  make 
a  buttonhole  stitch  around  the  edge  of  the  hole.    (See  page 
121  for  buttonhole  stitch.)     Do  not  pull  the  thread  up 
tightly,  or  you  will  break  the  edge  of  the  kid. 

5.  Work  a  second  row  of  buttonhole  stitches  through 
the  purl  edge  of  the  first. 

6.  Continue  working  row  after  row  until  the  hole  is 
completely  filled  up. 

7.  Mend  the  seams  when  ripped  with  very  fine  over- 
seaming  stitches. 

106 


XX.     PATCHING. 

Patching  is  the  art  of  restoring  the  worn  parts  of  any 
garment  by  inserting  better  material. 

Good  patching  depends  largely  on  a  thorough  under- 
standing of  the  rules  and  methods  of  making  the  garment. 
This  is  especially  true  in  repairing  all  articles  of  clothing. 

MATCHING  THE  PATCH  IN  COLOR  AND  FABRIC. 

Care  must  be  taken  to  see  that  the  patch  agrees  with  the 
original  fabric  in  color  and  quality;  consequently  new 
material  in  many  cases  had  better  be  avoided,  and  material 
partly  worn  substituted. 

Materials  invariably  lose  something  of  their  original 
brightness  of  color  and  tint  during  wear,  so  that  attention 
to  these  small  details  will  amply  repay  the  worker,  as  one 
of  the  primary  principles  of  good  patching  is  that  the  re- 
pair, when  completed,  shall  be  as  little  noticed  as  pos- 
sible. 

PATCHING  FIGURED  AND  STRIPED  MATERIALS. 

In  patching  striped  or  figured  materials,  match  the  pat- 
tern so  that,  when  finished,  the  continuity  of  the  design  is 
unbroken. 

The  warp  of  both  garment  and  patch  must  run  in  the 
same  direction.  In  patching,  as  far  as  possible,  attach  the 
patch  to  some  seam.  Sometimes  it  is  possible  to  join  all 

107 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

sides  in  this  way,  making  the  work  not  only  stronger,  but 
much  neater. 

An  invisible  patch  is  valuable  in  more  places  than  on  a 
shoe. 

PATCHES  OF  DIFFERENT  SHAPES. 

Different  shaped  patches  are  frequently  used ;  such  as 
circular,  oblong,  triangular,  half -moon,  etc.  A  half -moon 
patch  is  a  most  excellent  shape  to  use  in  any  case  where 
the  edge  can  be  attached  to  a  seam,  especially  where  the 
strain  is  very  great,  as  at  elbows,  knees  of  boys'  trousers, 
etc. 

The  size  of  the  patch  depends  not  only  on  the  size  of  the 
hole,  but  also  on  the  condition  of  the  garment  around  the 
hole.  All  patches  should  be  carefully  pressed. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  for  a  lesson  in 
patching  are:  A  practice  piece,  with  a  hole  cut  by  the 


ILL.  69.— Method  of  Turning  Corners 
of  the  Patch. 


ILL.  70,-Sides  and  Corners  of  the 
Patch  Turned. 


108 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

teacher  previous  to  the  lesson ;  a  patch  four  inches  square ; 
cotton ;  scissors ;  a  ruler  or  tape  measure ;  "ground  downs" 
or  "between"  needles. 

1.  Hold  up  the  patch  with  the  right  side  towards  you. 

2.  Turn  the  corners  down  one-fourth  of  an  inch  on  the 
right  side.     See  Illustration  No.  69. 

3.  Next  turn  down  the  sides  one-fourth  of  an  inch.    See- 
Illustration  No.  70. 

4.  Hold  it  up  when  finished  with  the  turns  towards  the 
teacher. 

5.  Place  the  practice  piece  or  garment  on  the  desk  with 
the  wrong  side  up. 

(Find  the  centre  of  the  "patch    by    folding  it  on  its 
diameters. ) 

6.  Place  the  right  side  of  the  patch  on  the  wrong  side 
of  the  garment  or  practice  piece. 

7.  See  that  the  centre  of  the  patch  is  over  the  centre  of 
the  hole,  with  the  warp  of  the  two  pieces  parallel. 

8.  Baste  close  to  the  edge  with  even  basting.     See  Illus- 
tration No.  71. 

Begin  to  baste  in  the  centre  of  one  side. 

9.  Begin  to  hem  in  the  same  place.     (By  so  doing  the 
square  appearance  of  the  corners  is  preserved.) 

10.  Be  careful  to  hold  the  patch  in  the  correct  position 
while  hemming  it.     (The  patch,  which  represents  the  fold 
of  the  hem,  must  turn  towards  the  point  of  the  finger.) 

11.  Turn  the  material  over,  with  the  right  side  up. 

12.  Measure  on  the  right  side  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
from  the  sewing  of  the  hem. 

13.  Draw  a  square  on  its  sides.    (Use  a  lead  pencil.) 

109 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  71.— First  Basting  of  the  Patch. 

14.  Cut  out  the  material  on  the  lines  drawn.     In  this 
way  you  get  rid  of  the  worn  material  around  the  hole. 

15.  Make  a  diagonal  cut  at  each  corner. 

16.  Turn  the  edges  under  with  the  needle,  keeping  the 
corners  perfectly  neat  and  square. 

17.  Baste  the  edge  of  the  turns  with  even  basting.    See 
Illustration  No.  72. 

18.  Hem  the  garment  down  on  the  patch  (beginning  to 

hem  in  the  centre  of  one  side). 

110 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

19.  Take  out  all  basting  stitches. 

20.  Press  the  patch  carefully  on  the  wrong  side. 

Another  Way  of  Patching. 

1.  Cut  out  all  worn  material  around  the  hole. 

2.  Make  a  diagonal  cut  at  each  corner  one-fourth  of  an 
inch. 

3.  Turn  the  edges  down  as  far  as  the  diagonal  cut  at 
each  corner  will  permit. 


ILL.  72.— Patch  Basted  Ready  for  Second  Hemming. 
Ill 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  73.— Calico  Patch  Properly  Matched. 

4.  Turn  down  the  patch  as  before. 

5.  Baste  the  right  side  of  the  patch  to  the  wrong  side  of 
the  garment  (centre  to  centre). 

6.  Hem  it  first  on  the  right  side  (that  is,  hem  the  gar- 
ment to  the  patch). 

7.  Turn  and  hem  it  on  the  wrong  side  (that  is,  hem  the 
patch  to  the  garment  last).    See  Illustration  No.  73. 

NOTE. — This  method  is  preferred  by  many  persons,  especially  in  match- 
Ing  figured  or  striped  materials. 

112 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUR  IN  PATCHING. 

1.  Size  of  patch,  either  too  small  or  too  large. 

2.  Warp  of  patch  and  garment  not  running  parallel 
with  each  other. 

3.  Patch  held  upside  down  while  hemming. 

4.  Corners  not  true  and  drawn  in  sewing. 


(8) 


ILL.  74.— Catch-Stitched  Patch,  Right  Side. 
113 


Home  andT  School  Sewing. 

Catch-Stitched  Patch. 

This  method  is  used  in  patching  garments  made  of  flan- 
nel or  cloth.  The  fact  that,  owing  to  the  thickness  of  the 
materials,  the  edges  need  not  be  turned,  makes  this  in 
many  respects  the  easiest  of  all  patches. 

The  catch-stitch  should  be  taken  through  the  patch  and 
material  together  on  one  side  only,  because,  for  the  sake  of 
protection,  the  stitch  is  carried  over  the  raw  edges,  and  the 


ILL.  75.  -Catch-Stitched  Patch,  Wrong  Side. 
114 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


I 


ILL.  76.— The  Wrong  Side. of  an  Overseamed  Patch  with  the  Edges  Overcast. 

second  side  of  the  stitch  is  taken  merely  through  the  single 
flannel  of  the  garment. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are :  Cloth  or  flan- 
nel representing  a  garment ;  a  patch  to  -match  four  inches 
square;  "between"  needles;  silk  or  cotton,  according  to 
material ;  scissors ;  ruler  or  tape  measure. 

1.  Cut  out  all  worn  material  around  the  hole. 

2.  The  piece  intended   for  the  patch  must  be  three- 
fourths  of  an  inch  larger  than  the  hole  when  thus  prepared. 

115 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

3.  Tack  the  patch  to  the  wrong  side  of  the  garment, 
with  nap  of  the  two  pieces  running  the  same  way. 

4.  See  that  they  agree  with  regard  to  warp  and  woof. 

5.  Turn  the  material  over  with  the  right  side  up  and 
eatch-stitch  the  garment  to  the  patch.     See  Illustration 
No.  74. 

6.  Catch-stitch  the  patch  to  the  garment  on  the  wrong 
side.     See  Illustration  No.  75. 

NOTE.— A  patch  may  be  either  overseamed  or  backstitched  into  a  garment. 
When  made  in  this  way,  the  edges  should  be  opened  and  pressed  on  the  wrong 
side.  The  edges  may  be  finished  by  overcasting  or  buttonholing.  See  Illustra- 
tion No.  76. 


XXI.     TUCKING. 

A  tuck  is  a  plait  in  a  fabric  or  garment,  held  in  place 
by  stitches ;  it  is  frequently  one  of  a  series  laid  parallel. 

Nothing  more  completely  spoils  the  appearance  of  a 
garment  than  crooked  tucks ;  therefore  in  elementary  work 
a  paper  measure  is  advisable  in  order  to  make  the  tucks 
exact  in  width  and  space.  This  measure  is  sometimes 
called  a  gauge. 

Tucks  are  used  either  by  way  of  decoration,  or  in  order 
to  dispose  of  extra  material  in  a  garment,  with  the  expecta- 
tion of  letting  it  out  as  the  wearer  grows  or  the  fabric 
shrinks. 

The  size  varies  very  much,  according  to  taste,  as  well  as 
to  the  special  needs  of  the  garment. 

In  cutting  out  garments,  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that 
each  tuck  requires  twice  its  depth  with  once  that  amount  to 
rest  on. 

The  space  between  the  tucks  depends  largely  on  the 
thickness  of  the  fabric.  For  ordinary  muslin,  the  space  is 
frequently  made  one-half  the  width  of  the  tuck. 

Make  an  odd  rather  than  an  even  number  of  tucks ;  for 
instance,  make  three,  five,  or  seven ;  not  two,  four,  or  six. 

When  used  in  groups  with  space,  use  an  uneven  number 
of  tucks  and  make  the  space  correspond  to  the  width  of  the 
group. 

117 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


Tucks  are  sometimes  made  lengthwise  and  sometimes 
across  the  cloth,  and  always  on  the  right  side  of  the 
garment. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  practice 
piece  of  bleached  muslin  seven  inches  wide  and  eighteen 
inches  long,  tucks  to  be  made  directly  above 
the  hem ;  needles,  "sharps"  ;  cotton  ;  scissors ; 
ruler  or  tape  measure;  a  piece  of  stiif  paper 
or  cardboard. 

1.  Make  a  measure  or  gauge  by  folding  a 
piece  of  paper   (so  that  it  will  have  a  stiff 
edge)  three-fourths  of  an  inch  wide  and  five 
inches  long. 

2.  From  the  end  of  the  paper,  mark  with 
a  dot  the  width  of  the  tuck. 

3.  Make  a  second  dot  the  width  of  the  tuck 
plus  the  space  below  the  first  dot. 

4.  Make  at  each  dot  a  straight  cut,  and 
from  that  cut  an  oblique  one.     See  Illustra- 
tion No.  77. 

5.  Hold   the   right   side   of   the   material 
towards  you. 

6.  Place  the  second  straight  cut  of  the 
measure  to  the  sewing  of  the  hem. 

7.  Crease  by  the  top  of  the  measure. 

8.  After  creasing  all  the  way  across,  bring  the  measure 
back  to  the  right-hand  edge  and  test  the  correctness  of  the 
turn,  and  at  the  same  time  baste  under  the  first  straight 
cut. 

9.  Baste  with  uneven  basting.    See  Illustration  No.  78. 

118 


ILL.  77. -Gauge 
or  M  easure 
Used  in  Mark- 
ing Tucks. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

10.  Sew,  below  the  basting,  with  running  stitches. 

11.  Take  out  the  basting  stitches. 

12.  In  making  a  second  tuck,  place  the  second  straight- 
cut  to  the  sewing  of  the  first  tuck  and  proceed  as  before. 

13.  If  an  occasional  backstitch  is  used,  the  tuck  should 
be  basted  and  sewed  on  the  upper  side. 

MISTAKES  LIKELY  TO  OCCUK  IN  TUCKING. 

1.  Space  between  tucks  uneven. 

2.  Tucks  run  on  upper  side. 

3.  Width  of  tuck  not  suitable  for  the  garment. 

4.  Tucks  overlapped. 


ILL.  78.— Position  of  the  Measure  while  the  Tucks  are  Basted. 
119 


XXII.     FASTENINGS. 

Buttonholes. 

A  buttonhole  is  a  slit  or  hole  made  to  receive  a  button. 
It  is  always  made  on  double  material,  and  frequently  a 
third  ply  is  put  in  to  give  it  additional  strength. 

The  size  of  the  buttonhole  is  determined  by  the  diameter 
of  the  button. 

A  buttonhole  should  always  be  worked  on  the  right  side 
of  the  garment :  and  on  the  right-hand  side  of  women's  gar- 
ments, and  on  the  left-hand  side  of  men's. 

Buttonholes  are  usually  cut  in  a  horizontal  position,  but 
on  shirt  bosoms  and  shirt  waists  they  are  frequently  cut 
vertically. 

They  are  generally  cut  one-fourth  of  an  inch  from  the 
edge  of  the  garment. 

The  spacing  between  the  buttonholes  is  controlled  by 
fashion,  by  the  size  of  the  buttons,  and  by  the  looseness  or 
tightness  of  the  garment. 

On  woolen  materials,  work  the  buttonhole  with  button- 
hole twist.  Be  careful  to  have  the  twist  one  shade  darker 
than  the  goods,  as  it  always  works  lighter. 

On  muslin  and  similar  materials,  buttonholes  are  gen- 
erally worked  with  round  ends. 

The  outer  edge  of  the  buttonhole  stitch  is  called  "the 

120 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

purl  edge."     Tailor-finished  buttonholes  are  made  with  a 
bar  across  the  end  farthest  from  the  edge  of  the  garment. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  strip  of 
muslin,  which,  when  folded,  is  two  and  a  half  inches  wide 
and  eighteen  inches  long;  red  cotton;  fine  white  cotton; 
''between"  needles;  buttonhole  scissors;  tape  measure. 

(It  is  advisable  to  learn  the  stitch  before  trying  to  make 
a  buttonhole.) 

THE  BUTTONHOLE  STITCH. 

1.  Hold  the  folded  edge  of  the  buttonhole  strip  along 
the  first  finger  of  the  left  hand. 


ILL.  79.— Needle  and  Thread  in  Position  for  the  Buttonhole  Stitch. 

2.  Take  two  small  running  stitches  on  the  wrong  side 
of  the  strip,  pointing  the  needle  towards  you. 

3.  Bring  the  needle  up  from  underneath  close  to  the 

121 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  82.— Buttonhole  Strip  in  Position. 


2.  Begin  at  1  and  overcast  to  2.     (Begin  without  a  knot, 
taking  two  running  stitches  on  the  wrong  side.) 

3.  Take  the  needle  underneath  and  bring  it  up  at  3,  then 
overcast  to  4.     See  Illustration  No.  83. 

4.  Do  not  make  the  overcasting  stitches  more  than  three 
or  four  threads  deep,  and  in  the  proportion  of  five  over- 
castings  on  each  side  of  a  three-fourths-of-an-inch  button- 
hole. 

5.  Overcast  a  buttonhole  immediately  after  it  is  cut. 

124 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

BARRING. 

1.  Slip  the  needle  underneath  from  4  to  1,  then  make 
a  bar  along  the  side  of  the  buttonhole  by  taking  the  needle 
under  at  2  and  bringing  it  up  at  3  and  back  to  4  and  then 
to  1.    See  Illustration  ISTo.  83. 

2.  Repeat  this  so  that  you  have  two  bars  at  each  side 
and  two  at  each  end.     (The  bars  at  the  end  should  show 
only  on  the  wrong  side.)     Be  careful  not  to  draw  the 
material. 

WORKING  THE  BUTTONHOLE. 

.  1.  Bring  the  needle  halfway  through  at   1  with  the 
needle  pointing  towards  you;  take  the  double  thread  at 


ILL.  83.— Overcasting  and  Barring  the  Buttonhole. 
125 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

folded  edge  of  the  cloth,  thus  bringing  the  thread  into 
position  for  the  stitch. 

4.  Work  from  you  (that  is,  from  right  to  left). 

5.  Again,  put  the  needle  in  the  same  distance  from  the 
edge  and  directly  in  front  of  its  first  position. 

0.  With  the  needle  halfway  through  the  cloth,  and  point- 
ing towards  you,  take  the  double  thread  at  the  eye  of  the 
needle  and  bring  it  around  and  under  the  point  of  the 
needle  from  right  to  left.  See  Illustration  No.  79. 

7.  Pull  the  needle  out,  draw  the  thread  so  that  it  will 
form  a  horizontal  line ;  in  this  way  the  purl  edge  is  brought 
to  the  folded  edge  of  the  cloth.  Make  the  stitches  very 
close  to  each  other,  as  the  closer  the  stitches  the  more 
durable  the  buttonhole. 


ILL.  80.— Buttonhole  Scissors. 
122 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


8.  Be  careful  to  keep  the  depth  and  the  spacing  of  the 
stitch  uniform  throughout. 

9.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  practice  the  buttonhole  stitch  on 
the  folded  edge  of  the  strip  of  cloth. 

MENDING  THE  THREAD. 

1.  Draw  the  thread  out  of  the  needle;  but  if  the  thread 
breaks  short,  open  up  two  or  three  stitches. 

2.  Begin  the  new  thread  by  taking  two  or  three  stitches 
on  the  wrong  side  and  bringing  the  needle  up  through  the 
purl  edge  of  the  last  stitch. 

3.  Make  three  buttonhole  stitches  over  the  two  threads. 

CUTTING  THE  BUTTONHOLE. 

1.  Gut  from  the  notched  part  of  the  blade  to  the  point 
of  the  scissors.     See  Illustration  No.  80. 

2.  Cut  with  the  thread  of  the  muslin,  one-fourth  of  an 
inch  from  the  folded  edge. 

3.  Cut  and  work  one  buttonhole  at  a  time. 

4.  The  diameter  of  the  button  gives 
the  size  of  the  buttonhole. 

5.  Be  careful  to  keep  all  the  button- 
holes the  same  size. 

It  is  well  to  practice  cutting  button- 
holes on  a  strip  of  paper  or  muslin  be- 
fore cutting  the  cloth  in  which  button- 
holes are  to  be  worked. 

OVERCASTING. 

1.  Hold  the  buttonhole  alone:  the  first 


finger  of  the  left  hand,  with  the  folded   lLL0f81tireTButtoKef 
edge  of  the  muslin  towards  the  wrist* 

123 


on  the  Back  of  a 
Waist, 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

the  eye  of  the  needle  and  throw  it  under  the  point  of  the 
needle  from  right  to  left. 

2.  Draw  the  thread  out  straight. 

3.  Continue  working  the  buttonhole  in  this  manner  un- 
til you  reach  the  end  which  is  generally  rounded  nearest 
the  folded  edge;  the  stitches  here  should  present  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  spokes  in  a  wheel  or  an  eyelet  hole. 

4.  After  rounding  this  end,  work  along  the  opposite 
side  until  you  are  directly  opposite  the  first  stitch. 

5.  Finish  the  last  end  in  a  similar  manner  to  the  first, 
taking  the  needle  down  through  the  purl  edge  of  the  first 
stitch  and  making  two  or  three  stitches  on  the  wrong  side. 

6.  If  a  tailor  finish  is  desired,  work  along  the  side  from 
3  to  4  until  you  are  directly  opposite  the  first  stitch. 

7.  Take  the  needle  down  through  the  purl  edge  of  the 
first  stitch;  draw  the  thread  tightly  until  the  sides  are 
brought  close  together. 

8.  Make  three  bars  across  this  end  of  the  buttonhole. 
(These  bars  must  be  on  the  right  side,  and  should  extend 
the  full  width  of  the  buttonhole  stitches.) 

9.  Work  over  the  three  bars  with  buttonhole  stitches, 
keeping  the  purl  edge  towards  the  buttonhole. 

10.  Take  the  needle  down  close  to  the  last  stitch  and 
fasten  the  stitch  on  the  wrong  side.      See   Illustration 
No.  84. 

11.  In  mending  the  thread,  follow  the  method  in  the 
buttonhole  stitch. 

12.  The  buttonhole  should  be  worked  with  one  thread; 
if  it  is  very  large,  it  may  be  overcast  and  barred  first  and  a 
new  thread  taken  when  beginning  the  buttonhole  stitch. 

126 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  84.— Buttonhole  Completed. 


COMMON  MISTAKES  IN  MAKING  BUTTONHOLES. 

1.  Badly  cut  hole;  out  of  proportion  to  size  of  buttont 
Not  cut  with  the  thread  of  the  material. 

2.  Buttonhole  commenced  at  wrong  end. 

3.  Cotton  not  drawn  tight. 

4.  Stitch  not  uniform  in  depth. 

5.  Ends  finished  badly. 

Buttons. 

A  button  is  a  knob  or  disk  of  bone,  metal,  or  wood,  often 
covered,  having  a  shank,  perforation,  or  other  means  by 
which  it  may  be  sewed  to  one  part  of  a  garment,  which  it 
joins  to  another  part  by  passing  through  a  buttonhole. 

127! 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Buttons  are  sometimes  sewed  to  garments  for  ornament, 
and  are  frequently  made  of  very  rich  materials.  A  button 
of  gold,  crystal,  coral,  ruby,  or  other  precious  stone  is 
worn  by  Chinese  officials,  both  civil  and  military,  on  the 
top  of  their  hats  as  a  badge  of  rank. 

Buttons  are  sewed  on  the  right  side  to  a  fold  of  the  mate- 
rial; it  is  often  advisable  to  have  an  extra  fold  of  the 
material  used  as  an  interlining  so  as  to  prevent  the  button 
pulling  away  from  the  garment. 

Buttons  without  shanks  require  to  be  stemmed.  This 
is  done  by  leaving  the  thread  a  little  loose  while  sewing 
on  the  buttons,  and  then  twisting  it  around  the  sewing 


ILL.  85.— Various  Methods  of  Sewing  on  Buttons. 

several  times,  between  the  button  and  the  material,  before 
fastening  the  thread. 

A  tailor  puts  his  stitches  through  the  upper  goods  and 
interlining  only,  pointing  his  needle  back  and  forth,  not 
up  and  down. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  in  this  lesson  are : 
A  strip  of  muslin,  which,  when  folded,  is  two  and  a  half 
inches  wide  and  eighteen  inches  long;  buttons  of  various 

128 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


kinds  to  illustrate  the  lesson ;  needles,  "sharps" ;  coarse 
silk  or  cotton ;  tape  measure. 

MARKING  THE  PLACE  FOE  THE  BUTTONS. 

1.  The  buttonholes  are  necessarily  made  first. 

2.  To  mark  the  place  for  the  buttons,  lay  the  right  sides 
of  the  garment  together,  and  stick  pins  through  the  outer 
ends  of  the  buttonholes. 

3.  These  pins  may  be  taken  out  and  the  spot  marked 
either  with  a  basting , stitch  or  French  chalk. 

4.  In  sewing  a  four-holed  button,  use  as  fine  a  needle  as 
possible.      (A  fine  needle  prevents  making  unnecessary 
holes  in  the  goods.) 

5.  Double  the  thread. 

6.  Avoid  making  a  knot,  as  the  point  of  the  needle  is 
apt  to  strike  against  it  and  break. 

7.  Begin  with  two  small  backstitches  directly  on  top  of 
the  spot  marked  for  the  button. 

8.  Put   the   needle    mmaan _^™_ 

through  hole  No.  1  of  the 

button. 

9.  Place  a  pin  or  coarse 
needle  on  top  of  the  button 
and  keep  it  there  until  the 
four  holes  of  the  button 
have  been  filled  up.     See 
Illustration  No.  86. 

10.  Draw    the    needle 
through  and  take  it  down 
hole  No.  2. 

11.  Continue  sewing  until  holes  No.  1  and  2  are  filled. 
(9)  129 


ILL.  86.— Sewing  on  the  Button 
(Position  of  the  Pin). 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

12.  Sew  in  like  manner  through  holes  No.  3  and  4. 
See  Illustration  No.  86. 

13.  Take  out  the  needle  or  pin,  and  draw  the  button  up 
from  the  garment ;  in  this  way  loosening  the  stitches  un- 
der the  button. 

14.  Bring  the  needle  up  between  the  button  and  the 
cloth  very  close  to  the  stitches. 

15.  Wind  the  thread  around  these  stitches;  in  this  way 
forming  a  stem  or  shank. 

•16.  Take  the  thread  through  to  the  wrong  side  and 
fasten  it  securely. 

17.  Watch  the  stitches  on  the  wrong  as  well  as  on  the 
right  side,  in  order  to  keep  them  neat. 

18.  The  thread  is  sometimes  fastened  by  taking  the 
needle  two  or  three  times  through  the  wrapping  between 
the  button  and  material. 

NOTE. — Instead  of  placing  a  pin  on  the  top  of  the  button,  it  is  some- 
times slipped  through  the  backstitches  before  the  button  is  put  on  the 
needle  and  withdrawn  when  you  are  ready  to  make  the  stem. 

SEWING  ON  SHOE  BUTTONS. 

1.  Use  linen  thread. 

2.  Double  it  before  putting  it  through  the  needle;  this 
makes  four  threads  for  each  stitch  instead  of  two. 

3.  Make  a  knot  on  the  end  of  the  thread. 

4.  If  the  thread  is  waxed  before  sewing,  it  will  prevent 
its  twisting  and  snarling. 

5.  Do  not  finish  the  thread  off  at  each  button,  but  carry 
it  from  one  button  to  the  next  on  the  wrong  side  of  the 
shoe. 

.     6.  Fasten  securely  on  the  wrong  side  with  a  backstitch. 

130 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


Loops. 

Loops  are  frequently  used  instead  of  eyes  in  connection 
with  hooks,  as  on  chokers  of  dresses,  etc.  They  are  also 
used  instead  of  buttonholes  in 
extremely  thin  or  thick  places, 
where  it  is  impossible  to  make 
a  buttonhole. 

Loops  used  in  place  of  eyes 
should  be  made  to  lie  very  flat 
on  the  material.  Those  intend- 
ed to  take  the  place  of  a  button- 
hole are  usually  placed  at  the 
edge  of  the  material  and  are 
made  large  enough  for  the  but- 
ton to  pass  through.  Use  thread 
a  little  coarser  than  that  re- 
quired for  sewing  the  garment. 

MATERIALS.  —  The  materials 
required  in  making  a  loop  are: 
A  practice  piece  or  a  garment; 
needles,  "betweens"  or  "ground  downs" ;  cotton  or  silk  as 
required;  scissors. 

1.  To  make  the  bar,  bring  the  needle  up  from  the  wrong 
side. 

2.  Make  a  small  knot  on  the  end  of  the  thread. 

3.  Work  from  left  to  right. 

4.  Make  four  stitches  one-fourth  of  an  inch  long  direct- 
ly on  top  of  each  other.     These  form  the  bar. 

5.  Begin  buttonholing  the  bar  by  holding  the  thread 
down  with  the  left  thumb,  and  taking  the  needle  under  the 

131 


ILL.  87.  —  Loops,  Showing  the 
Needle  in  Position. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

bar  just  made,   and  over  the  thread.      See  Illustration 
iSTo.  87. 

6.  Be  careful  not  to  catch  the  cloth    in    with    these 
stitches. 

7.  Draw  the  thread  towards  you  so  that  the  purl  edge  of 
the  buttonholing  will  come  on  the  outside  of  the  loop. 

8.  Fasten  the  thread  securely  on  the  wrong  side  with  a 
small  backstitch. 

A  LOOP  IN  PLACE  or  A  BUTTONHOLE. 

1.  When  the  loop  is  to  take  the  place  of  a  buttonhole, 
the  foundation  stitches  must  be  taken  loosely  enough  to 
cover  the  button,  and  the  buttonhole  stitch  worked  very 
closely  over  these  strands. 

2.  Push  the  stitches  closely  together  as  each  one  is  made. 

LOOPS  OF  TAPE. 

Loops  for  hanging  up  a  garment  are  frequently  made  of 
tape. 

Loops  for  hanging  up  dresses  are  usually  sewed  flat  and 
are  placed  in  the  armholes  or  collars  of  dresses  and  on  the 
belts  of  skirts.  Loops  are  sometimes  sewed  on  towels  in  a 
similar  way.  Two  loops  are  better  than  one  for  most 
garments,  as  the  weight  of  the  garment  when  hung  up  is 
then  more  evenly  distributed. 

Tapes  to  tie  various  parts  of  a  garment  together  may 
be  sewed  on  in  a  similar  way. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  in  this  lesson  are: 
A  towel  or  any  garment  requiring  a  loop;  tape  or  binding; 

132 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

needles,  "ground  downs"  or  "betweens" ;  scissors ;  cotton ; 
tape  measure. 

1.  Cut  off  a  piece  of  tape  the  desired  length. 

2.  Fold  it  in  the  middle;  over  seam  it  down  one  inch; 


ILL.  88.  -Showing  the  Method  of  Sewing  a  Loop  on  a  Towel. 

flatten  out  the  overseam  and  turn  it  so  that  it  will  form  a 
point  at  the  top. 

3.  Turn    the    ends    down    one-fourth    of    an    inch    on 
the  right  side,  and  place  them  on  the  wrong  side  of  the 
towel. 

4.  Hem  the  loop  on  the  three  outside  edges. 

5.  Turn  the  towel  over   on   the   right   side  and  back- 
stitch it  down  to  the  tape.     See  Illustration  No.  88.     Or, 
simply  double  the  piece  of  tape  and  first  backstitch  it  on 
the  wrong  side,  and  then  turn  the  loop  and  hem  it  to  the 
towel. 

133 


Home  "and  School  Sewing. 

Hooks  and  Eyes. 

Hooks  and  eyes  are  used  instead  of  buttons  and  button- 
holes where  invisible  fastenings  are  desired. 

If  the  eye  is  liable  to  show  on  a  garment,  the  loop  of  it 
should  be  covered  with  a  buttonhole  stitch. 

In  dress  waists,  the  hooks  and  eyes  are  frequently  sewed 
alternately  instead  of  putting  all  the  hooks  on  one  side 
and  all  the  eyes  on  the  other.  This  prevents  the  dress 
from  becoming  unfastened. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are :  Two  strips  of 
material  folded  similarly  to  that  used  for  buttonholes; 
needles,  "betweens"  or  "ground  downs" ;  coarse  cotton  or 
silk,  as  garments  require;  scissors;  a  card  of  hooks  and 
eyes ;  tape  measure. 


ILL.  89.— Sewing  cm  Hooks  and  Eyes. 
134 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

1.  Mark,  with  a  stitch,  the  places  for  the  eyes  on  the 
folded  edge  of  the  strip  of  muslin. 

2.  Make  a  small  knot. 

3.  Place  the  eye  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  material,  with 
the  loop  extending  a  little  beyond  the  edge. 

4.  Hold  the  eye  firmly  in  place  with  the  thumb  and  first 
finger  of  the  left  hand. 

5.  Over  seam  closely  around  the  rings  of  the  eye,  being 
careful  not  to  let  the  stitches  show  through  on  the  right 
side. 

6.  Take  two  or  three  stitches  over  the  loop  of  the  eye 
above  the  ring.    Do  not  break  the  thread,  but  carry  it  from 
one  eye  to  the  next. 

7.  Mark  the  place  for  the  hooks,  by  placing  the  wrong 
side  of  the  eyes  to  the  strip  on  which  the  hooks  are  to  be 
sewed  and  marking  it  with  a  stitch. 

8.  Place  the  hook  as  far  inside  the  edge  as  the  eyes  ex- 
tend beyond  it ;  hold  it  firmly  in  place. 

9.  Overscan!  closely  around  the  rings  and  across  the 
back  of  the  hook.    See  Illustration  ~No.  89. 

10.  Carry  the  thread  as  in  sewing  on  the  eyes. 

Eyelet  Holes. 

An  eyelet  is  a  pierced  hole,  worked  with  an  embroidery 
or  buttonhole  stitch,  to  prevent  it  from  fraying.  Eyelet 
holes  are  frequently  used  when  it  is  desirable  to  lace  in- 
stead of  fasten  a  dress  in  another  way.  They  are  also 
used  on  shirt  fronts  for  studs. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required:  The  hem  of  the 

practice  piece  may  be  used ;  "betwens"  or  "ground  down" 

135 


Home  and   School  Sewing. 

needles;  cotton;  a  piercer  (sometimes  called  a  stiletto); 
scissors;  tape  measure. 

1.  Push  the  piercer  carefully  through  the  muslin  until 
the  hole  is  made  the  desired  size. 

2.  Bring  the  thread  up  from  the  wrong  side  and  work 
the  edge  of  the  hole  over  and  over  with  very  close,  even 
stitches. 

3.  If  the  buttonhole  stitch  is  used,  the  purl  edge  should 
form  a  ring  on  the  surrounding  material  and  not  fall  on 
the  edge  of  the  hole  as  in  a  buttonhole. 

4.  After  it  is  worked,  again  push  the  piercer  through 

the  eyelet  to  perfect  the  shape. 

136 


XXIII.     DECORATIVE   STITCHES. 

Feather  or  Brier  Stitch. 

This  stitch  is  used  as  a  pretty  finish  in  all  kinds  of  sew- 
ing, and  is  frequently  used  to  take  the  place  of  backstitch- 
ing,  as  it  is  so  much  less  of  a  strain  on  the  eye. 


ILL.  90.— Single  and  Double  Brier  Stitch. 

The  pattern  may  be  varied  by  taking  a  slanting  instead 
of  a  straight  stitch;  and  also  by  making  two,  three,  or 
even  four  stitches  on  each  side.  See  Illustration  No.  90. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  in  learning  the 

feather  stitch  are :  A  quarter  of  a  yard  of  flannel ;  embroid- 

137 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

ery  silk ;  needles,  either  a  zephyr  needle  or  "sharps" ;  scis- 
sors ;  the  stitch  is  usually  worked  in  crochet  or  embroidery 
cotton,  on  cotton  goods ;  in  silk  or  woolen  thread,  on  woolen 
goods;  and  in  silk,  linen  floss,  or  flourishing  thread,  on 
linen. 

1.  Use  a  small  knot. 

2.  Bring  the  needle  up  from  underneath. 

3.  Work  on  the  right  side  of  the  material. 

4.  Hold  the  thread  down  with  the  thumb  of  the  left 
hand. 

5.  Take  a  stitch,  pointing  the  needle  towards  you. 

6.  Carry  the  thread  under  the  needle  so  as  to  form  a 
loop-stitch. 

7.  Always  draw  out  the  thread  towards  you. 

8.  Take  a  stitch  alternately  on  the  right  and  left  of  the 
thread  held  down.     See  Illustration  No.  90. 

9.  In  mending  the  thread,  take  the  needle-  down  close 
to  the  last  stitch  and  fasten  it  securely  on  the  wrong  side. 

10.  Bring  the  new  thread  up  from  underneath  inside 
of  the  notch  formed  by  the  last  stitch,  so  that  no  break 
may  appear  in  the  work. 

Catch-Stitch. 

The  catch-stitch  is  principally  used  on  flannel  or  woolen 
material  to  keep  the  seam  flat  after  it  has  been  sewed  and 
pressed. 

It  is  sometimes  used  in  patching  (see  page  114)  ;  in 
fastening  whalebones  to  the  seam  of  a  dress;  in  tacking 
interlining  together ;  and  is  frequently  associated  with  out- 
line stitch  in  fancy  work. 

138 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

MATERIALS. — The  same  materials  are  required  as  in 
making  the  brier  stitch. 

1.  Use  a  small  knot  if  it  can  be  hidden;  if  it  cannot  be 
hidden,  begin  with  a  backstitch. 

2.  Begin  at  the  left-hand  side  and  sew  towards  the  rigid, 
always  pointing  the  needle  from  you  (that  is,  begin  at  1, 
take  the  needle  through  from  2  to  3,  then  from  4  to  5,  etc.). 
See  Illustration  ~No.  91. 


ILL.  91.— Catch  or  Herringbone  Stitch. 

3.  See  that  the  needle,  when  in  position,  forms  a  hori- 
zontal line. 

4.  Fasten  the  thread  on  the  wrong  side  by  a  small  back- 
stitch. 

5.  In  mending  the  thread,  guard  against  any  unneces- 
sary break  in  the  stitch. 

6.  Flannel  seams  are  catch-stitched  in  three  ways. 

WAYS  OF  ARRANGING  SEAM  FOR  CATCH-STITCHING. 

7.  By  opening  the  seam  and  catch-stitching  the  raw 

edges  on  each  side  to  the  garment.    See  Illustration  ~No.  92. 

139 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  92.  -Seam  Pressed  Open  and  the  Raw  Edges  Catch-Stitched  on  Each 
Side  to  the  Flannel. 

8.  By  pressing  both  edges  of  the  seam  down  together 
on  the  garment  and  securing  them  with  one  row  of  catch- 
stitching.  See  Illustration  No.  93. 


ILL.  93.— Both  Edges  of  the  Seam  Pressed  to  One  Side  and  Catch-Stitched. 

140 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


f -*«.../*  "~^ 


ILL.  94.— Seam  Pressed  Open  and  Catch-Stitched  down  the  Centre. 

9.  By  opening  and  pressing  the  seam  quite  flat  and 
catch-stitching  it  down  the  centre.  See  Illustration  No.  94. 

Blanket -Stitch. 

The  blanket-stitch  is  used  to  secure  and  ornament  the 
edges  of  woolen  materials,  especially  blankets.  It  closely 
resembles  a  buttonhole  stitch,  the  single  purled  edge  being 
the  only  difference.  If  made  without  any  intervening 
space,  it  is  used  in  embroidering  scallops  and  sometimes 
takes  the  place  of  overcasting. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are  the  same  as 
for  the  brier  stitch. 

1.  Begin  at  the  left-hand  side  and  work  towards  the 
right. 

2.  On  the  wrong  side  of  the  material,  take  two  running 
stitches,  pointing  the  needle  to  the  left;  these  should  be 
taken  one-eighth  of  an  inch  above  the  edge  of  the  material. 

141 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  95.— Buttonhole  or  Blanket-Stitch,  with  the  Needle  in  Position, 

3.  Bring  the  needle  through  to  the  right  side,  pointing 
the  needle  towards  you. 

4.  Hold  the  thread  down  with  the  left  thumb;  insert 
the  needle  one-eighth  of  an  inch  to  the  right  and  parallel 
with  the  first  stitch. 

5.  Do  not  draw  the  thread  tightly.     See  Illustration 
No.  95. 

6.  Fasten  the  thread  by  taking  the  needle  through  to 
the  wrong  side  and  making  a  few  running  stitches  to  the 
left.     These  should  not  show  through  on  the  right  side. 

7.  Care  should  be  taken,  in  fastening  and  beginning 
new  threads,  to  preserve  the  regularity  of  the  stitch. 

8.  The  stitch  may  be  varied  by  following  the  sugges- 
tions found  in  the  illustrations  numbered  96,  97,  and  98. 

Chain-Stitch. 
The  chain-stitch  is  an  ornamental  stitch,  resembling  the 

links  in  a  chain.    The  chain-stitch  should  be  made  loosely. 

142 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  96.— Buttonhole  Stitch  unevenly  Spaced. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are  the  same  as 
for  the  brier  stitch. 

1.  Work  towards  you,  holding  the  material  over  the  first 
finger  of  the  left  hand. 

2.  Make  a  very  small  knot. 

3.  Bring  the  needle  up  from  underneath. 


ILL.  97.-  Showing  How  the  Buttonhole  Stitch  may  be  Varied. 
143 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  98.— Buttonhole  Stitch  Used  in  Fancy  Work. 


4.  Hold  the  thread  to  the  left  with  the  thumb ;  put  the 
needle  back  into  exactly  the  same  place  where  the  thread 

comes  out,  and  take  a  stitch 
through  and  over  the  thread.  A 
loop  stitch  will  be  the  result. 

5.  In  making  each  new  stitch, 
the  needle  must  be  put  inside 
the  loop  into  exactly  the  same 
hole    from    which    the    thread 
comes    out,    taking    the    same 
amount    of    material    on    the 
needle  for  each  stitch.     See  Il- 
lustration No.  99. 

6.  Fasten  on  the  wrong  side 
with  a  backstitch. 

144 


ILL.  99.— The  Chain-Stitch. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


Cable-Chain  Stitch. 

The  cable-chain  stitch  is  a  slight  variation  of  the  ordi- 
nary chain-stitch.     Instead  of  putting  the  needle  through 
the  last  stitch  made,  it  is  put  in 
just  outside  of  the  loop;   this 
gives  a  much  richer  effect. 

Outline  or  Stem-Stitch. 

The  outline  -  stitch  is  fre- 
quently used  in  embroidery  for 
defining  delicate  lines  and  em- 
phasizing the  edges  of  designs. 

In  outlining  a  circle,  always 
work  it  so  that  the  silk,  when 
drawn  through,  lies  toward  the 
inside  of  the  curve,  when  you 
are  about  to  take  the  next  stitch. 

To  avoid  puckering,  be  careful  that  the  material 
held  over  the  first  finger  of  the  left  hand  is  perfectly 
smooth  and  straight.  Never  hold  the  material  on  the  bias, 
no  matter  what  the  direction  of  the  line  that  is  being 
followed. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  piece  of 
"art  linen";  embroidery  or  sharp  needles;  linen  floss  or 
filoselle. 

1.  Work  from  you ;  hold  the  material  over  the  first  finger 
of  the  left  hand. 

2.  Make  a  small  backstitch  on  the  wrong  side. 

3.  Bring  the  needle  up  from  underneath  and  make  a 
(10)  145 


ILL.  lOO.-Outline  or  Stem-Stitch. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

slanting  stitch,  pointing  the  needle  towards  you.  See  Illus- 
tration No.  100. 

4.  Take  a  long  stitch  forward  on  the  upper  side  and  a 
short  stitch  backward  on  the  under  side. 

5.  Keep  the  thread  to  the  right  of  the  needle. 

6.  Study  sample  for  size  of  stitch. 

7.  Do  not  draw  the  stitches  tightly. 

8.  Fasten  on  the  wrong  side  with  a  backstitch. 

Cross-Stitch. 

This  stitch  is  used  for  marking  undergarments  and 
household  linen,  and  in  dressmaking  as  an  ornamental 
method  of  sewing  in  waist  bands. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  Coarse  can- 
vas ;  zephyr  and  zephyr  needles ;  scissors. 

1.  Do  not  use  knots. 

2.  Leave  an  end  of  thread  on  the  wrong  side  to  be  held 
in  place  by  the  first  stitches  made. 


ILL.  101.— Cross-Stitch  Used  in  Marking. 
146 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


ILL.  102.— Letters  for  Marking. 
147 


Home  and  School   Sewing. 

3.  All  stitches  must  cross  in  the  same  direction. 

4.  Bring  the  needle  up  from  underneath  at  the  lower 
left-hand  corner  of  the  square  of  canvas  intended  for  the 
stitch. 

5.  Take  the  needle  down  at  the  upper  right-hand  cor- 
ner, and  bring  it  out  at  the  upper  left-hand  corner. 

6.  Take  the  needle  down  at  the  lower  right-hand  corner, 
and  bring  it  out  at  the  lower  left-hand  corner  of  the  next 
stitch.     See  Illustration  No.  101.     Or, 

7.  Bring  the  needle  up  from  underneath  at  1,  taking 
it  down  at  2  and  bringing  it  out  at  3.   Cross  over  to  4,  and 
bring  it  again  out  at  5,  thus  completing  one  stitch. 

8.  Be  careful  to  have  the  back  of  the  work  look  neat. 

9.  In  patterns    and    marking  where  upright  rows  of 
stitches  occur,  it  saves  time  to  work  the  entire  number  to 
the  top  with  half  stitches  and  then  come  back  over  each 
one  to  the  bottom. 

Hemstitching. 

Hemstitching  is  a  fancy  method  of  stitching  hems  in 
which  threads  of  the  material  are  drawn  and  separated. 

The  number  of  threads  drawn  will  depend  largely  upon 
the  coarseness  or  fineness  of  the  material. 

If  the  fabric  is  much  stiffened,  rubbing  it  between  the 
hands  will  take  out  the  stiffening  and  make  the  threads 
easier  to  draw. 

MATERIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  Linen  crash 
or  canvas ;  "between"  needles ;  cotton  suitable  to  material. 

1.  Draw  one  thread  at  a  time,  and  draw  it  the  entire 

length  of  the  cloth. 

148 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

2.  After  the  proper  number  of  threads  have  been  drawn, 
turn  and  baste  the  hem  close  to  the  line  thus  made. 

3.  Baste  with  even  basting. 

4.  Sew  on  the  wrong  side. 

5.  Hold  it  along  the  first  finger  of  the  left  hand  with 
the  hem  towards  you. 

6.  Begin  at  the  right-hand  side  and  secure  the  ends  of 
the  thread  as  in  ordinary  hemming. 

7.  Point  the  needle  towards  you  and  take  up  three 
threads  and  draw  it  through.    Hold  the  thread  firmly  with 
the  left  thumb.     See  Illustration  JSTo.  103. 


ILL.  103 — Hemstitching  (the  Needle  in  Position). 

8.  Draw  the  cotton  tightly  and  take  an  ordinary  hem- 
ming stitch  to  the  left,  close  to  the  threads  just  drawn 
together. 

9.  Proceed  in  like  manner  the  entire  length  of  the  hem. 

149 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


French  Knot  or  Seeding. 

This  stitch  is  used  in  embroidery  to  represent  the  seeds 
in  flowers,  and  is  frequently  combined  with  other  decora- 
tive stitches  in  geometric  or  other  conventional  designs. 

If  the  material  is  heavy,  carry  the  thread  from  knot  to 
knot  without  breaking  it.  If  the  knot  is  made  on  sheer 

material,  where  the  thread  would 
show  through,  the  thread  must 
be  fastened  at  each  knot. 

MATERIALS.  —  The  materials 
required  are :  A  piece  of  flannel 
or  "art  linen" ;  linen  floss  or 
embroidery  silk;  "sharps"  or 
embroidery  needles;  scissors. 

1.  Bring  the  needle  up  from 
the  wrong  side. 

2.  Make  a  small  backstitch. 

3.  Hold  the  silk  in  the  left 
hand  a  few  inches  away  from 
the  material. 

4.  Take  the  needle  in  the  right  hand  and  twist  it  around 
this  portion  of  the  embroidery  silk  three  or  four  times. 
See  Illustration  No.  104. 

5.  With  the  silk  still  held  firmly  in  the  left  hand,  carry 
the  point  of  the  needle  back  two  or  three  threads  beyond 
where  the  silk  was  first  brought  through. 

6.  Hold  the  knot  in  place  with  the  left  hand  and  pull  the 
underneath  silk  quite  tight,  so  as  to  secure  the  knot  on  the 

wrong  side, 

150 


ILL.  104.— French  Knots. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 


A  Fan  of  Stitches. 

This  stitch  is  generally  used  to  finish  and  secure  the 
bone  casings  of  a  dress  waist  or  corsage. 

MATEEIALS. — The  materials  required  are:  A  piece  of 
flannel ;  embroidery  silk  or  twist ;  "between"  needles ;  tape 
measure. 

1.  Fasten  the  thread  securely  on  the  wrong  side  with  a 
backstitch. 

2.  Begin  with  the  centre  stitch  and  make  five  stitches 
on  each  side,  gradually  shortening  each  one.     See  Illus- 
tration No.  105. 

3.  Make  several  backstitches  on  the  wrong  side  to  fasten 
the  end  of  the  thread. 


ILL.  105.— A  Fan  of  Stitches. 
151 


XXIV.     A   LESSON   IN   ECONOMY. 

Shakespeare  makes  one  of  his  characters  say,  "Costly 
thy  habit  as  thy  purse  can  buy/7  but  much  more  than  mere 
cost  must  be  considered  in  order  to  regulate  our  expenses 
wisely  in  the  matter  of  dress. 

An  everyday  dress,  for  example,  should  be  made  of  cloth 
that  will  not  shrink  or  roughen  if  wet,  that  will  not  fade 
when  exposed  to  the  light,  and  that  has  no  loose  threads  in 
the  weave  to  catch  and  draw.  If  intended  for  winter  wear, 
it  should  have  warmth  without  much  weight;  if  for  sum- 
mer, it  should  be  cool  and  thin  without  being  flimsy.  Good 
homespun,  merino,  cashmere,  serge,  cheviot,  and  broadcloth 
are  standard  materials,  and  far  more  serviceable  than  so- 
called  novelties  for  which  a  high  price  is  charged  on  ac- 
count of  some  peculiarity  in  the  weave.  In  summer  goods, 
lawns,  percales,  linens,  ginghams,  dimities,  grenadines, 
China  silk,  and  taffeta  are  suited  to  various  uses,  and  all 
are  serviceable  and  hold  their  own  in  the  favor  of  good 
buyers,  in  spite  of  the  many  fancy  materials  that  are 
"made  to  sell." 

All  cheap  and  pretentious  cloths  should  be  avoided. 
They  are  manufactured  to  deceive  persons  who  know  little 
about  the  real  value  of  goods.  Spend  the  same  amount  of 
money  for  a  plain  standard  material,  and  the  garment  will 
be  far  more  satisfactory  at  the  first  and  will  last  much 

152 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

longer.  Important  as  careful  mending  is,  a  great  deal  of 
mending  may  be  saved  by  buying  only  substantial  goods 
that  are  even  in  warp  and  woof  and  closely  and  firmly 
woven. 

Dresses  should  be  appropriate  to  the  occasion.  Ele- 
gance of  material  has  no  place  in  a  walking  dress,  for 
example. 

They  should  not  be  overloaded  with  ornament  at  any 
time.  A  good  gown  well  fitted  and  carefully  made  from 
simple,  appropriate  goods  is  far  better  than  one  made 
of  inferior  material  and  loaded  with  trimmings.  If  lace 
or  embroidery  is  used  at  all,  it  should  be  good  of  its  kind. 
Cheap  trimming  of  any  sort  cannot  be  made  to  appear 
artistic. 

Clothing  will  look  better  and  wear  longer  if  properly 
cared  for.  Careful  folding,  brushing,  and  cleaning  have 
much  to  do  with  the  appearance  of  a  wardrobe.  Garments 
should  be  hung  up  with  double  loops  or  on  curved  hoops. 

If  a  garment  is  to  be  remodeled,  it  should  not  be  worn 
until  it  is  very  shabby,  but  should  be  carefully  ripped 
apart,  brushed  and  shaken  in  the  open  air.  If  the  material 
can  be  turned,  remove  all  stains  by  stretching  it  out  on 
a  clean,  smooth  board  and  scrubbing  it  with  a  soft  brush 
and  soap  and  warm  water,  rinsing  such  places  by  holding 
the  material  over  a  bowl  and  pouring  water  through  it. 
Be  careful  not  to  stretch  it  while  doing  this.  Lay  a  cloth 
over  it  and  press  on  the  wrong  side  while  it  is  still  damp. 

If  the  material  is  very  much  soiled  and  worn,  soak  a 
small  quantity  of  soap  bark  in  warm  water  overnight; 
strain  through  a  fine  cloth;  if  any  woody  particles  come 

153 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

through,  strain  again.  Put  this  suds  into  two  tubs;  add 
warm  water  until  it  is  about  98°  Fahrenheit.  Place  the 
fabric  in  the  first  tub,  and  knead  it  as  you  would  bread. 
Never  rub  soap  on  the  fabric  or  use  a  washboard.  Keep 
turning  it  over  and  kneading  until  you  have  taken  out  as 
much  dirt  as  possible.  Many  of  the  washing  machines  are 
very  good  for  this  purpose.  Fold  the  material  carefully 
and  put  it  through  a  wringer ;  repeat  this  process  through 
the  second  tub.  Rinse  it  in  water,  which  is  of  the  same 
temperature  as  the  first;  and  make  sure  that  all  soap  is 
out  of  the  material  before  finally  putting  it  through  the 
wringer.  If  the  wringer  creases  the  cloth,  take  it  out  of 
the  rinsing  water  and  hang  it,  by  the  selvage  or  straight 
edge,  upon  the  line  to  drain  and  dry.  When  nearly  dry, 
iron  it  with  a  piece  of  goods  between  the  material  and  the 
iron.  Care  should  be  taken  in  ironing  not  to  flatten  the 
threads  of  the  fabric.  Silks,  ribbons  (except  white),  kid 
gloves,  etc.,  can  be  best  cleaned  with  naphtha,  but  as  this 
is  highly  explosive,  it  must  be  used  in  the  open  air,  away 
from  fire.  Delicate  fabrics  had  best  be  sent  to  the  profes- 
sional cleaner. 

In  remaking  any  material,  it  is  generally  advisable  to 
combine  it  with  some  other  fabric.  Frequently  this  may 
be  done  by  making  a  yoke  or  vest,  cuffs  and  collars  on  the 
waist,  and  introducing  a  panel  or  bias  fold  on  the  skirt, 
being  careful  to  select  materials  whose  coloring  will  be  low 
in  tone  and  that  will  not  attract  attention  to  any  lack  of 

freshness  in  the  original  goods. 

154 


XXV.     COLOR   IN   FABRICS. 

No  matter  how  well  garments  are  cut  and  sewed,  how 
perfectly  they  are  fitted,  or  how  costly  the  material  from 
which  they  are  made,  the  person  who  does  not  understand 
the  use  of  colors  in  their  relation  to  fabrics  cannot  select 
and  make  satisfactory  clothing.  An  understanding  of 
color  is,  therefore,  very  important. 

A  rainbow  is  made  up  of  the  colors  violet,  indigo,  blue, 
green,  yellow,  orange,  and  red.  These  colors  and  all 
others,  with  their  thousands  of  shades  and  tints,  can  be 
made  by  mixing  red,  blue,  and  yellow  together  in  various 
proportions  and  adding  black  to  darken  (that  is,  to  produce 
a  shade  of  the  particular  color  desired),  or  by  adding  white 
to  lighten  it  (that  is,  to  produce  a  tint).  Hue  is  the  char- 
acteristic of  a  color  which  first  appeals  to  the  eye  and  dis- 
tinguishes it  from  any  other,  as  red,  blue,  green.  Tone  is 
the  grade  of  a  color  as  it  passes  from  light  to  dark — from 
tint  to  shade. 

Red,  yellow,  and  blue,  combined  in  the  right  proportions, 
will  make  white.  It  follows,  then,  that  combinations  of 
these  colors,  if  properly  put  together,  will  also  produce 
white.  The  colors  resulting  from  such  combinations  con- 
trast harmoniously,  and  are  called  complementary  colors. 
The  complementary  colors,  besides  purple  and  green,  are: 

Carmine  and  bluish-green,  vermilion  and  turquoise  blue, 

155 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

orange  and  ultramarine,  yellow  and  bluish-violet,  yellowish 
and  purple  violet. 

Ked  and  yellow  are  spoken  of  as  warm  colors,  and  blue 
and  violet  as  cold.  Green  is  neutral  and  is,  therefore,  one 
of  the  most  restful  colors  to  the  eye.  Gray  and  white, 
which  is  at  the  same  time  no  color  and  a  union  of  all  colors, 
are  often  called  neutral.  All  colors  seem  brighter  on  black 
ground  and  darker  on  white  ground. 

Color  is  an  important  element  in  the  design  of  cloth. 
Whether  the  pattern  be  striped,  checked,  figured,  or  an  in- 
termingled effect,  it  obtains  its  outline  and  detail  from  the 
method  of  coloring  adopted,  and  to  remove  the  color  would, 
in  many  cases,  erase  all  design  and  ornament.  The  color, 
therefore,  often  determines  whether  a  certain  material 
shall  be  used  or  not. 

The  material,  also,  has  much  to  do  with  the  combining 
of  colors.  For  instance,  the  brilliancy  of  satin  and  the 
sheen  of  silk  unsuit  them  for  use  with  many  kinds  of 
woolen  goods,  particularly  the  rougher  sorts,  even  though 
the  colors  of  the  two  materials  harmonize.  On  the  other 
hand,  velvet  lends  itself  to  a  happy  blending  of  color  on 
account  of  its  soft  lights  and  rich  shades ;  while  the  full- 
ness, the  delicacy,  and  depth  of  color  in  woolen  materials 
offer  great  possibilities  in  the  way  of  harmonious  combi- 
nations. 

Dress  is  a  form  of  decoration,  as  well  as  a  means  of 
comfort,  and  the  well-dressed  person  usually  selects  quiet 
colors,  or,  if  stronger  colors  are  used,  they  are  carefully 
chosen  and  combined  so  as  to  produce  a  harmonious  effect. 
In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  combinations  are  improved 

156 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

by  avoiding  the  contrast  of  bright  colors.  The  dull  greens 
and  blues  of  Scotch  plaids  and  the  soft  colors  of  Oriental 
rugs  are  examples  in  point.  An  India  shawl,  in  which 
the  gayest  colors  are  used?  is  kept  low  in  tone  by  the  black 
outlines,  which  prevent  violent  contrasts  in  bright  colors. 
Nature  is  the  best  teacher  in  the  use  of  colors.  In  the 
plumage  of  the  humming  bird,  the  feather  of  the  peacock, 
the  lining  of  a  shell,  the  carpet  of  moss  and  lichen  in  the 
woods,  are  found  lessons  in  color  harmonies  which  no 
painter  or  weaver  ever  surpassed. 

A  particular  color  in  a  garment  is  becoming  only  if  it 
harmonizes  with  the  complexion  of  the  wearer ;  but  in 
proper  material,  white  is  suitable  to  all  ages  and  complex- 
ions. It  is  worth  while  noticing,  however,  that  so-called 
white  goods  rarely  are  absolutely  white.  They  have  tints, 
and  are  made  more  becoming  thereby. 

One  lesson  cannot  contain  all  there  is  to  learn  about 
combinations  of  color.  This  knowledge  must  be  acquired 
little  by  little — by  looking  at  color  harmonies  in  nature  or 
in  manufactured  objects  which  you  know  are  liked  by  cul- 
tivated persons,  and  by  combining  colors  for  yourself  until 
you  become  familiar  with  their  relations.  Until  you  are 
perfectly  sure  of  your  knowledge,  bright  colors  are  to  be 
avoided  either  singly  or  in  combinations. 

157 


XXVI.     A   CHAPTER   ON   MATERIALS. 

Silk. 

Raw  silk  is  the  silk  as  it  is  reeled  from  the  cocoons. 

Gloss  silk  is  the  loose  silk  that  envelops  the  cocoons. 

Two  or  three  threads  of  raw  silk,  twisted  loosely  two 
or  four  times  to  the  inch,  is  called  tram,  and  is  used  as 
shute  or  woof.  In  weaving,  the  woof  has  little  or  no 
strain  upon  it,  and  it  fills  the  warp  better  by  being  soft 
and  loose. 

The  warp,  which  is  also  called  organzine,  is  made  of  the 
finer  and  more  regular  threads  of  silk  tightly  twisted  so  as 
to  produce  strength  and  elasticity  in  the  fabric. 

Amongst  the  animal  fibres,  the  first  place  must  be  as- 
signed to  silk  not  only  on  account  of  the  beauty  of  the 
fibre  itself,  but  also  because  no  other  textile  fabric  com- 
bines to  such  a  degree  the  qualities  of  warmth,  brightness, 
strength,  firmness,  and  durability. 

It  is  the  natural  production  of  the  silkworm.  The  eggs 
are  hatched  in  spring,  and  the  worm  or  caterpillar  grows 
rapidly,  until  when  fully  grown  it  is  about  three  inches 
long.  It  feeds  on  the  leaf  of  the  mulberry  tree. 

Like  most  other  caterpillars,  the  silkworm  sheds  its 
coat  four  times,  at  intervals  depending  on  the  quality  and 
quantity  of  the  food.  When  about  to  spin  its  cocoon,  it 

ceases  to  eat.     The  silk  is  produced  from  two  long  glands 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

along  the  sides  of  the  body.  From  each  gland  com.es  a 
slender  tube.  These  tubes  unite  into  one  near  the  mouth. 
In  spinning  its  cocoon,  the  worm  sends  out  a  line  of  thread 
about  four  thousand  yards  in  length.  In  doing  this,  it 
bends  its  head  and  body  backward  and  forward  until  it 
has  entirely  surrounded  its  body  with  silk,  and  within  this 
it  spins  a  finer  and  more  delicate  silk. 

The  cocoon  is  generally  completed  in  about  three  days, 
and  it  is  about  the  size  of  a  pigeon's  egg. 

When  the  cocoons  are  finished  by  the  worms,  they  are 
placed  in  vessels  heated  with  hot  water  or  in  an  oven  which 
melts  the  cementing  gum  and  kills  the  chrysalis.  They 
are  then  sorted  and  placed  in  hot  water  and  stirred  until 
the  winder  is  able  to  catch  a  number  of  loosened  ends  which 
she  winds  together  on  reels  as  one  thread.  This  thread 
then  goes  to  the  spinning  frame,  where  the  fibres  are 
twisted  into  the  required  thickness  for  weaving. 

The  value  of  silk  depends  on,  first,  lustre;  second, 
strength ;  third,  fineness.  Its  appearance  under  the  micro- 
scope is  an  even,  round,  glasslike  fibre ;  its  strength  is  said 
to  be  three  times  that  of  linen.  'No  other  textile  fibre  can 
be  spun  to  such  a  degree  of  fineness  combined  with  elas- 
ticity. 

The  silk  industry  doubtless  originated  in  China,  and 
there  is  exported  from  that  country  nearly  seven  million 
dollars'  worth  of  silk  annually.  When  first -known  to  the 
Romans,  silk  was  so  dear  that  it  was  sold  weight  for  weight 
with  gold.  The  high-priced  silk  fabrics  have  long  come 
from  Italy  and  France,  and  the  cheaper  ones  from  the 

United  States,  India,  Persia,  and  China.    The  silks  of  the 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

United  States  have  greatly  improved  in  quality  in  recent 
years. 

Silk  is  said  to  rank  next  to  wool  as  a  non-conductor  of 
heat. 

VARIETIES  OF  SILK  CLOTH. 

Most  manufactured  silk  materials  are  known  under  one 
of  the  following  names : 

Satin,  a  silk  fabric  of  a  thick,  close  texture,  with  a 
glossy  face  and  a  dull  back;  the  lustre  of  the  surface  is 
produced  partly  by  the  quality  of  the  silk  and  partly  by 
a  method  of  weaving  that  reduces  the  number  of  crossings 
of  filling  and  warp.  The  surface  is  made  still  more 
lustrous  by  being  made  to  pass  over  very  hot  rollers  in 
finishing. 

Taffeta,  a  light-weight,  smooth-finished  silk,  capable  of 
repelling  dust.  It  is  frequently  used  for  linings.  It  may 
be  plain,  figured,  striped,  or  plaid. 

Changeable  silk,  in  which  the  warp  and  woof  are  of  con- 
trasting colors. 

Surah,  a  soft  twilled  silk  with  a  glossy  surface  usually 
of  solid  color. 

Gros  Grain,  a  dull-finished  silk  with  a  cord  running 
across  from  selvage  to  selvage. 

Faille  Frangaise,  a  fabric  woven  in  the  same  manner 
as  gros  grain,  but  softer  and  finished  with  considerable 
lustre. 

Irish  Poplins  and  Bengalines' belong  to  this  family,  al- 
though the  latter  are  frequently  mixed  with  either  linen 
or  wool. 

Ottoman  is  a  very  heavy  corded  silk,  used  for  cloakings. 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Damasse  (see  Damasse  in  wool),  sometimes  called  bro- 
cade. 

Foulard,  a  soft  twilled  silk  frequently  printed  in  con- 
trasting colors. 

Moire  or  watered  silk.  This  effect  is  produced  by  sub- 
jecting gros  grain  silk  to  various  conditions  of  beat, 
moisture,  and  pressure. 

China  and  Japanese  silks  are  frequently  spoken  of  as 
wasb  silks.  These  are  particularly  desirable  for  sum- 
mer dresses  because  of  the  lightness  and  coolness  of  the 
fabric,  as  well  as  the  fact  that  they  may  be  washed  like 
gingham. 

Crepe.  This  is  a  sheer  silk  fabric,  which,  by  being  ex- 
posed to  heat  and  moisture,  is  given  a  peculiar  crinkled 
effect ;  when  dyed  black,  it  is  used  for  mourning. 

Armure  and  Matalass/  (see  woolen  materials). 

Pongee,  a  soft  bleached  wash  silk  made  in  China,- the 
product  of  a  wrild  silkworm  that  feeds  on  the  oak  leaf. 

Velvet,  a  silk  fabric  closely  wroven  and  having  on 
one  side  a  thick,  short,  smooth  nap  or  cut  pile.  Vel- 
vets are  sometimes  made  of  all  silk,  but  frequently 
have  a  cotton  back  with  silk  surface. 

Cotton. 

Among  vegetable  fibres,  the  first  place  must  be  assigned 
to  cotton,  because  it  supplies  by  far  the  largest  amount  of 
material  for  the  clothing  of  mankind,  and  can  be  manu- 
factured into  an  almost  unlimited  variety  of.  textures, 
suited  for  almost  every  possible  purpose,  whether  for  use 
or  ornament. 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

The  cotton  fibre  holds  an  unusual  place  in  the  order  of 
vegetable  textile  fibres,  because  it  is  obtained  from  the 
plant  by  the  simple  process  of  picking  when  the  boll  or 
seed  capsule  is  open  and  ripe,  while  most  other  vegetable 
tissues  are  procured,  not  from  the  fruit  or  seed,  but  from 
the  stem  and  branches  or  leaves  of  the  plant. 

Cotton  may  be  described  as  a  vegetable  down  or  wool 
composed  of  numberless  minute  and  woolly  fibres,  which 
envelop  the  seeds  contained  in  the  boll. 

From  its  great  resemblance  to  sheep's  wool,  it  was  called 
by  the  ancients  "the  wool  of  trees."  And  although  it  dif- 
fers greatly  from  the  animal  fleece,  the  term  is  still  re- 
tained. The  Germans  call  it  tree  wool,  and  the  French 
give  it  a  name  which  answers  to  the  English  term  cotton 
wool. 

Cotton  may  be  classed  as  of  three  kinds :  the  tree,  shrub, 
and  herbaceous  species.  Of  these,  the  most  useful  is  the 
herbaceous  species,  which  is  extensively  grown  in  the  south- 
ern part  of  the  United  States. 

The  best  variety  of  the  herbaceous  species  is  that  known 
as  sea  island  cotton,  which  is  of  long  staple,  its  fibre  being 
much  longer  than  that  of  any  other  kind  or  sort,  and  of  a 
fine,  silky  texture. 

It  is  principally  cultivated  in  the  low,  sandy  islands 
which  lie  along  the  coast  of  Georgia  and  North  and  South 
Carolina. 

The  herbaceous  species  of  cotton  attains  a  height  of 
from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches.  Its  leaves  are  a  dark 
green  color.  The  blossom,  which  resembles  a  hollyhock, 
is  at  first  a  pale  yellow  color ;  it  then  turns  white,  and  then 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

a  pinkish  purple,  when  it  falls  off,  and  a  pointed  triangular 
pod'  or  boll  appears.  This  gradually  increases  to  the 
size  of  a  large  filbert,  and  becomes  brown  as  the  woolly 
fruit  ripens. 

The  expansion  of  the  wool  causes  the  boll  to  burst, 


he  grt. 
>f  all J" 


ILL.  106.— Cotton  Ready  to  be  Picked. 


when  there  appears  a  ball  of  snowy  white  or  yellowish 
down  adhering  to  the  seeds.     See  Illustration  No.  106. 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 


Great  care  is  bestowed  in  the  United  States  upon  the 
cultivation  of  the  cotton  plant.  The  seed  is  sown  by  hand 
in  March,  April,  or  May,  according  to  the  season;  it  be- 
gins to  blossom  in  June,  the  bolls  commence  to  mature  in 
August  and  September,  and  when  open  they  resemble  the 
woods  in  winter  after  a  fall  of  snow. 

The  operation  of  gathering  the  cotton  requirer  wooh 
care.  The  usual  method  is  to  take  away  tke  seedghickl 
cotton,  leaving  the  empty  husk  on  the  bush.  TK-s  gather- 
ing is  always  performed  in  iine  weather, 
after  the  morning  dew  has  disappeared, 
as  any  moisture  would  make  the  cotton 
mouldy  and  cause  the  oil  of  the  seed  to 
spread  over  the  wool. 

As  the  cotton  does  not  all  ripen  at  the 
same  time,  the  pickers  have  to  go  over 
the  same  plantation  many  times. 

The  cotton  fibre  is  not,  as  it  appears 
to  the  eye,  a  solid,  cylindrical,  gossamer- 
like  hair,   but  when  shown  under  the 
microscope,  is  a  flattened,  hollow  ribbon, 
twisted    several    times    throughout    its 
length,    and    with    its   outer    edges    in- 
dented.    See  Illustration  No.  107. 
Owing  to  this  natural  twist,  cotton  is  easily  distinguished 
from  every  other  variety  of  animal  and  vegetable  fibre,  and 
its  appearance  can  be  readily  detected  in  any  material  by 
the  use  of  the  microscope. 

After  cotton  is  picked,  it  is  valued  according  to,  first, 
length  of  fibre;  second,  smallness  or  fineness  of  diameter; 

164 


ILL.  107.— The  Cotton 
Fibre. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

third,  evenness  and  smoothness;  fourth,  elasticity;  fifth, 
color;  sixth,  strength. 

The  native  home  of  cotton  is  the  East,  India  and  Egypt 
being  the  oldest  cotton-producing  countries.  Cotton  is 
now  grown  in  the  United  States,  India,  Egypt,  and  Brazil. 
Of  these  four  countries,  the  United  States  produces  by  far 
the  greater  part.  In  fact,  it  is  estimated  that  three-fifths 
of  all  the  cotton  grown  in  the  world  is  grown  in  the  United 
States. 

PREPARING  COTTON  FOR  THE  MARKET. 

After  the  cotton  is  picked,  it  is  separated  from  the  seeds 
by  being  run  through  the  cotton  gin ;  it  is  then  baled  and 
shipped  to  the  manufacturers. 

When  the  cotton  reaches  the  manufacturers,  it  passes 
through  a  .number  of  processes  before  it  is  ready 
for  weaving,  the  first  of  which  is  mixing  and 
opening. 

Naturally  the  fibres  which  compose  the  different  crops, 
of  even  the  same  class  of  cotton,  will  vary  more  or  less  in 
character;  therefore  the  only  method  by  which  perfect 
uniformity  can  be  secured  is  by  mixing  the  bales  together 
and  freeing  the  cotton  from  as  much  sand  and  dirt  as  pos- 
sible. Eor  this  purpose,  machines  with  rapidly  revolving 
cylinders  are  employed,  which,  coming  in  contact  with 
'the  cotton,  knock  it  into  light  flakes,  while  the  impuri- 
ties drop  through  bars  situated  under  or  facing  the 
beater;  it  is  then  ready  for  the  second  process,  known 
as  scutching. 

This  is  only  another  form  of  opening,  the  scutcher  con- 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

verting  the  loosened  cotton  into  a  continuous  roll  or  fleece. 
The  next  process  is  carding. 

In  carding,  all  the  fibres  which  are  in  a  bent  or  crossed 
direction  are  straightened  out  and  placed  parallel  with 
each  other;  they  are  then  called  slivers. 

The  next  process  is  drawing.  By  this  process  the  slivers 
are  passed  to  the  drawing  machine,  where  all  irregularities 
either  in  weight  or  thickness  are  taken  out  and  several 
slivers  are  united  into  one. 

The  next  process  is  roving.  The  roving  machine  reduces 
the  sliver  in  thickness  by  means  of  revolving  spindles,  and 
winds  it  spirally  upon  bobbins. 

It  is  then  ready  for  spinning.  Here  the  cotton  is  twisted 
sufficiently  to  stand  the  strain  to  which  it  may  be  sub- 
jected in  manufacturing  it  into  cloth. 

In  making  thread,  the  yarn  is  doubled  and  twisted  more 
than  for  weaving  into  cloth,  as  greater  strength  is  required. 
It  is  then  wound  on  spools  and  graded  according  to  the 
thickness.  The  finer  the  thread,  the  higher  the  number. 
Each  spool  holds  two  hundred  yards. 


COTTON  GOODS. 

The  principal  cotton  materials  are : 

Gingham,  a  cotton  dress  goods  woven  of  plain  dyed  yarn, 
usually  in  checks,  plaids,  or  stripes.  Varieties  of  ging- 
ham are  Madras  and  zephyr  ginghams. 

Muslin,  a  cotton  cloth  suitable  for  underwear  and  sheet- 
ing; in  some  parts  of  the  United  States  called  "cotton 
cloth."  It  was  originally  so  called  from  Mosul,  a  city  on 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

the  banks  of  the  Tigris,  which  was  once  the  chief  centre  of 
its  manufacture.  Varieties  of  muslin,  many  of  which  de- 
rive their  names  from  their  place  of  production,  are  India 
muslin,  Swiss  muslin,  Madras  muslin,  book  muslin,  ordi- 
nary muslin,  bleached  and  unbleached. 

Calico,  cotton  cloth  with  a  figured  design  printed  on  one 
side.  The  word  calico  has  a  queer  origin.  Many  centu- 
ries ago  the  first  monarch  of  the  province  of  Malabar,  in 
Hindustan,  gave  to  one  of  his  chiefs,  as  a  reward  for 
services,  all  the  land  within  the  limit  of  which  a  cock  crow- 
ing could  be  heard.  The  town  that  grew  up  was  called  Cal- 
icoda,  afterwards  Calicut,  and  from  this  place  the  first 
cotton  goods  were  imported. 

Cambric,  a  fine  white  linen  or  cotton  fabric,  first  made 
at  Cambria,  France.  It  is  frequently  printed  on  one  side. 

Batiste,  a  fine  all  linen  or  cotton  fabric;  the  French 
word  for  lawn.  Either  printed  or  white. 

Sateen,  a  cotton  fabric  with  a  glossy  surface  somewhat 
resembling  satin.  It  is  made  in  light  weight  for  dresses 
and  linings,  and  in  heavier  qualities  is  used  for  shoe  lin- 
ings and  corsets. 

Dimity,  a  sheer,  cotton  fabric  with  very  fine  cords  run- 
ning lengthwise. 

Pique,  a  heavy  cotton  fabric  that  has  a  corded  surface 
running  either  lengthwise  or  crosswise. 

Mull,  a  thin,  wiry  kind  of  muslin. 

Velveteen,  or  cotton  velvets;  a  cotton  material  having 
a  loose  nap  or  pile  on  the  surface. 

Corduroy,  a  cotton  material  resembling  velveteen,  but 
woven  with  a  ribbed  effect. 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 


Linen. 

Linen  is  a  fabric  manufactured  from  the  fibres  of  flax. 
The  flax  plant  is  a  slender  annual  from  two  to  three  feet 
high  and  has  small  pointed  leaves  placed  alternately  on 
the  stem.  It  bears  a  pale  blue  flower. 

Flax  is  a  native  of  Egypt,  and  the  fact  that  the  mum- 
mies of  Egypt  were  wrapped  in  linen  proves  that  it  is  one 
of  the  oldest  cloths  woven. 

The  flax  plant  seems  to  thrive  best  in  a  moist  climate. 
It  is  extensively  cultivated  in  the  north  ©<f  Ireland,  France, 
and  Holland. 

The  seed  is  sown  in  March,  and  the  plants,  when  the 
seeds  are  ripe  in  autumn,  are  pulled  up  by  the  roots.  The 
seeds  are  used  for  medicinal  purposes,  and  when  pressed, 
yield  linseed  oil.  The  stems  of  the  plant  are  hollow,  and 
consist  internally  of  a  woody  portion  called  shore  or  boon, 
and  externally,  immediately  below  the  bark,  of  the  cellular 
tissue  from  which  the  flax  is  prepared. 

After  the  plants  are  pulled,  if  the  object  be  to  use  the 
seeds,  they  are  spread  out  in  the  sun  to  dry,  and  the  seeds 
are  beat  out ;  this  is  called  rippling. 

But  if  the  fibrous  part  be  the  chief  object,  the  plants 
are  pulled  up  before  they  are  fully  ripe,  and  they  are  then 
tied  in  bundles  and  laid  to  soak  in  pools  or  ditches  of 
water;  they  are  then  spread  on  the  grass  until  fermenta- 
tion takes  place  in  the  glutinous  matter  which  binds  the 
fibres  together,  thus  loosening  the  fibres  and  setting  them 
free.  This  process  is  called  retting. 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

The  next  process  is  called  breaking  or  scutching,  which 
consists  in  beating  the  stalks  with  a  broad,  flat  board,  in 
this  way  separating  the  woody  fibre  from  the  flax. 

The  flax  is  now  sent  to  the  spinning  mill,  where  it  is 
roughly  sorted  and  heckled  or  combed  into  two  grades; 
the  coarse  or  tangled  fibres  are  called  tow,  and  the  finer 
and  longer  fibres  are  called  line. 

The  line  is  again  sorted  into  different  qualities,  after 
which  it  goes  through  what  is  called  the  drawing  process. 
In  this  the  flax  is  formed  into  a  continuous  ribbon  or 
sliver ;  it  is  then  drawn  until  the  fibres  are  evenly  arranged 
in  a  direction  parallel  to  each  other. 

The  flax  is  then  spun  into  yarn  by  much  the  same 
process  as  cotton,  the  only  difference  being  that  it  is  spun 
while  wet,  at  a  temperature  of  120°  Fahrenheit. 

The  flax  is  now  ready  for  weaving;  after  weaving,  it  is 
carefully  bleached. 

Ireland,  Belgium,  and  Germany  are  the  most  extensive 
linen  manufacturing  countries. 

Linen  possesses  many  advantages  over  cotton.  It  is 
stronger  and  more  enduring.  It  is  smoother  and  more 
lustrous.  It  is  cooler  and  does  not  absorb  and  retain 
moisture  so  readily.  Not  having  a  fuzzy  surface,  it  is 
capable  of  a  higher  gloss  or  finish  when  laundered. 

LINEN  MATERIALS. 

Some  of  the  best-known  linen  materials  are: 
Huckaback,  a  dicelike  pattern  very  heavy  and  service- 
able, used  for  toweling. 

Crash,,  often  spoken  of  as  Russia  crash,  very  satisfac- 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 


tory  for  roller  towels;  twilled  crash,  not  as  serviceable  as 
Russia  crash,  but  cheaper. 

Damask,  a  peculiar  weave  in  which  the  figure  has  a 
satin  finish. 

Art  linen  is  one  in  which  the  thread  is  round  and  hard 
twisted. 

Holland,  a  heavy  unbleached  linen  used  for  upholstering 
purposes  and  occasionally  for  dresses. 

Then  come  the  various  grades  of  linen  from  sheeting 
down  to  fine  shirting,  and  again  to  linen  lawn  and  grass 
cloth,  which  is  one  of  the  sheerest  fabrics 
woven. 

In  giving  these  names,  no  attempt 
has  been  made  to  touch  upon  what  might 
be  considered  novelties,  but  only  those 
that  are  considered  standard  materials 
have  been  mentioned. 

Wool. 

The  term  wool  is  used  indefinitely,  but 
is  most  generally  applied  to  the  fine  hair 
of    the    sheep,    and    is    distinguished    from 
hair    solely    by    being    curly    and    serrated, 
while    the    latter    is    straight    and    stiff. 
Animal  fibres  differ  from  vegetable  fibres  in  being  more 
flexible,  strong,  and  elastic. 

A  microscopic  examination  of  wool  shows  that  it  is  cov- 
ered by  scales  closely  resembling  the  scales  of  a  fish ;  this 
peculiarity  has  much  to  do  with  its  value  as  a  textile  fibre, 

170 


ILL.  108.— The 
Wool  Fibre. 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

as  it  is  this  which  gives  it  the  matting  or  felting  quality 
so  necessary  in  spinning  and  weaving. 

The  skin  of  the  sheep  itself  was  probably  the  first  cov- 
ering used  by  man,  and,  succeeding  that,  it  is  most  likely 
that  a  fabric  was  made  by  pounding  the  fleece  in  a  damp 
and  heated  condition,  thereby  producing  a  species  of  felt 
or  cloth  similar,  to  some  extent,  to  the  felts  used  for  hats, 
carpets,  and  shoes  in  modern  times.  Who  first  discovered 
the  woolen  thread  itself  is  not  known,  but  it  may  be  taken 
for  granted  that  the  readiness  with  which  wool  can  be  made 
into  thread  would,  at  an  early  period,  suggest  it  as  a  suita- 
ble material  for  sewing  and  weaving.  In  the  Middle  Ages, 
Flanders  was  the  great  headquarters  of  manufactures  in 
wool.  At  various  dates  Flemish  wool  workers  settled  in 
England  and  taught  the  English,  as  they  had  also  taught 
the  French,  the  art  they  had  carried  to  great  perfection. 

The  value  of  wool  depends  not  only  on  the  fineness,  but 
also  on  the  softness,  of  it.  The  finest  wool  is  found,  as  a 
rule,  in  the  region  of  the  shoulders  and  neck  of  the  sheep. 

The  qualities  which  distinguish  high-class  wool  are: 
1.  Weight.  2.  Color  and  Lustre.  3.  Length.  4.  Fine- 
ness. 5.  Elasticity.  6.  Softness.  7.  Soundness  and 
evenness  of  fibre. 

Sheep  are  sheared  once  a  year.  They  should  be  washed 
before  shearing,  because  of  the  dust  and  dirt  adhering  to 
the  yolk  or  grease  in  the  wool.  After  shearing,  all  stained 
or  seedy  places  should  be  removed,  which  leaves  the  fleece 
comparatively  free  from  fault. 

It  is  next  sorted;  this  process  separates  it  into  lots  ac- 
cording to  fineness  and  length  of  fibre. 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

It  is  then  washed  or  scoured  by  being  immersed  in  a 
bath  of  Chemicals,  suited  to  remove  the  grease  and  dirt  not 
taken  out  in  the  first  process. 

It  is  then  dried,  after  which  it  again  goes  through  a 
process  of  mixing  called  blending ;  this  consists  in  mixing 
the  various  qualities  of  wool,  so  as  to  bring  about  the  best 
results  in  spinning  and  weaving. 

The  several  qualities  of  wool  are  determined  principally 
by  the  touch.  An  indication  of  soundness  is  uniformity 
of  growth  in  the  several  filaments  of  which  the  staple  is 
composed.  The  larger  fibres  will,  of  course,  sustain  the 
most  weight,  but  the  strength  of  a  sample  of  wool  is  not 
judged  by  the  thickness  of  individual  hairs,  but  by  the 
strength  of  the  lock. 

The  process  of  spinning  is  much  the  same  as  in  cotton, 
but  after  the  fabric  is  woven  it  is  given  a  hot,  soapy  bath 
and  subjected  to  a  heavy  pressure,  which  causes  the  fibre 
to  felt  together  and  to  shrink  in  both  length  and  width. 
This  shrinkage  must  be  allowed  for  in  the  weaving. 

If  the  wool  has  not  been  dyed  in  either  the  fleece  or  the 
yarn,  it  is  now  ready  for  dyeing,  after  which  it  is  put 
through  various  finishing  touches,  which  give  it  the  de- 
sired gloss  and  finish  that  makes  it  marketable. 

VARIETIES  OF  WOOL. 

The  principal  varieties  of  wool  are : 

1.  Merino,  from  the  Merino  or  migrating  sheep,  origi- 
nally of  Spanish  origin.  It  is  noted  for  the  weight  and 
fineness  of  the  fleece,  and  is  used  universally  for  fine 

woolens. 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

2.  Alpaca,  a  species  of  wool  taken  from  native  alpacas 
or  llamas,  found  in  the  high  tablelands  and  mountain 
ranges  of  the  Andes  in  Chili  and  Peru. 

3.  Mohair.      The   wool   of   the   Angora   goat   is   long, 
abundant,  fine,  and  silky,  covering  the  whole  body  of  the 
goat. 

4.  Cashmere.     The  most  costly  wool  in  the  world  is 
found  on  the  Cashmere  goat  of  the  Himalayan  Mountains 
of  Central  Asia.     In  the  Cashmere  goat  it  is  the  under 
coat  of  wool  next  to  the  body  that  is  rich,  soft,  and  silky, 
almost  like  down.     A  fleece  weighs  but  half  a  pound,  but 
it  is  very  valuable. 

SUPPLY  AND  DEMAND. — To-day  the  population  of  the 
world  demands  two  billion  seven  hundred  million  pounds 
of  wool  per  year ;  of  this  quantity,  Australia  supplies  one- 
fourth;  Europe,  including  Russia,  one-third;  the  United 
States,  one-eighth;  and  following  in  rank  come  South 
America,  India,  Central  Asia,  Turkey,  China,  Canada, 
and  Mexico. 

The  fact  that  wool  is  more  impervious  to  cold  than  linen 
or  cotton,  and  that  it  is  a  poor  conductor  of  heat,  makes  it 
an  ideal  fabric  for  underclothing. 

THE  PRINCIPAL  WOOLEN  CLOTHS. 

The  manufactured  woolen  materials  of  most  importance 
are: 

Armure,  a  material  woven  so  that  it  has  the  appearance 
of  small  seeds  on  the  thread. 

Barre  is  a  name  given  to  a  fabric  crossed  by  bars  of  a 
contrasting  color. 

Bayadere  comes  from  the  dancing  girls  of  the  East, 

373 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

whose  garments  are  made  from  stuffs  crossed  from  selvage 
to  selvage  with  stripes,  and  when  worn  these  stripes  ap- 
pear to  run  around  the  body. 

Beige  is  the  name  given  to  a  fine,  soft  material  made  of 
yarns  in  the  natural  color;  it  is  light  in  weight  and  may 
be  either  twilled  or  plain. 

Boucle,  a  fabric  having  a  marked  curl  or  loop  in  the 
yarn,  which  is  thrown  to  the  surface  in  weaving.  Boucle 
is  the  French  for  curl. 

Bourette.  In  this  we  find  a  lump  instead  of  a  curl  on 
the  surface.  The  name  comes  from  Bourrer — to  stuff. 

Broadcloth  is  a  closely  woven  fabric,  finished  with  a 
soft  and  glossy  nap. 

Carrean,  the  same  as  checks ;  carrean  meaning  squares. 

Chene,  a  mottled  printed  effect. 

Checks,  patterns  which  are  usually  formed  by  colored 
threads  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles. 

Cheviot,  a  kind  of  serge  having  a  coarse  twill  frequent- 
ly made  of  worsted  and  extremely  serviceable. 

Challis,  a  light  wool  fabric,  without  twill,  resembling 
mousseline-de-lanie. 

Cords,  cloths  with  ribs  which  run  lengthwise  of  the 
goods.  There  are  several  varieties,  such  as  whipcords, 
Bedford  cords,  etc. 

Covert  Cloths.  These  are  light-weight  summer  cloths, 
originally  made  of  natural  or  undyed  wool,  resulting  in 
gray,  drab,  or  fawn  colors. 

CrJpon,  a  crepe  or  crinkled  effect. 

Cashmere,  a  soft,  irregular,  twilled  material,  with  the 

twill  only  on  the  right  side. 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Damasse,  a  figured  fabric  showing  a  contrast  in  lustre 
between  the  groundwork  and  the  figure.  The  same  idea  is 
carried  out  in  linen  damask. 

Diagonals  are  loosely  woven  fabrics  with  a  broad  twill 
running  diagonally. 

Drap  d'ete,  an  all-wool  fabric  with  a  twilled  surface  and 
a  broadcloth  back ;  woven  a§  a  twill  and  finished  as  a  broad- 
cloth. 

Double  Cloths,  two  separate  fabrics  woven  and  fastened 
together  in  the  process  of  weaving. 

Etamine,  an  open-work  effect  resembling  a  wool  grena- 
dine. 

Flannels.  This  name  is  given  to  a  loosely  woven  fabric 
manufactured  in  much  the  same  way  as  cloth.  Several 
varieties  of  flannel  are :  French,  Saxony,  Shaker,  and  san- 
itary flannel ;  the  latter  is  made  healthier  by  retaining  the 
natural  qualities  of  the  wool. 

Friese,  a  fabric  in  which  the  pile  stands  up  from  the  sur- 
face in  uncut  loops.  Friser  is  to  curl,  or,  as  we  say,  to 
friz. 

Foule,  a  fine,  soft  serge  that  has  been  fulled  or  milled 
in  the  finishing. 

Gloria  is  a  silk  and  wool  material  without  any  twill  or 
figure. 

Grenadine  is  a  thin,  open  material  frequently  made  in 
meshes,  checks,  or  plaids.  It  is  manufactured  of  silk  or 
wool;  sometimes  of  the  two  combined.  In  purchasing 
these  materials,  it  is  very  important  to  see  that  the  warp 
and  woof  are  even  in  strength  and  weight,  otherwise  they 
are  liable  to  slip  and  become  displaced  in  wear. 

175 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Henrietta,  a  material  with  a  silk  warp  and  a  wool  fill- 
ing; woven  exactly  like  a  cashmere. 

Homespun,  a  material  with  a  rough  surface  originally 
made  out  of  undyed  yarn,  not  easily  affected  by  the 
weather. 

Jacquard,  a  weave  named  after  the  inventor  of  the 
famous  loom;  in  it  every  warp  thread  can  be  made  to 
move  independently  of  every  other,  intricate  figures  being 
thus  produced. 

Matalasse,  a  fabric  whose  surface  is  broken  into  rect- 
angular figures  and  puffed  up  so  as  to  resemble  quilting; 
it  is  woven  in  both  silk  and  wool. 

Melange,  a  fabric  produced  from  yarn  that  has  either 
been  printed  in  the  wool  or  dyed  of  different  colors  and 
mixed  together  before  being  spun. 

Merino  is  a  soft  twilled  fabric  originally  made  from 
the  wool  of  the  merino  sheep ;  it  is  heavier  than  cashmere 
and  twilled  on  both  sides.  The  number  of  twills  to  the 
inch  in  merino  and  other  standard  fabrics  is  often  used  to 
indicate  their  quality. 

Mohair,  a  wiry  material  with  a  high  lustre,  manufac- 
tured from  the  hair  of  various  sheep  and  goats,  such  as 
angora,  alpaca,  and  llama ;  it  is  a  fabric  that  will  not  muss 
or  crease  easily,  and  is  impervious  to  dust. 

Nun's  veiling  is  a  thin,  woolen  material  which  is  very 
hard  twisted  in  the  thread,  consequently  very  strong  and 
capable  of  resisting  wear. 

Poplin,  a  wool  or  silk  material,  or  the  two  combined,  in 
which  the  cord  runs  crosswise. 

Sateen,  a  satin-faced  wool  fabric,  the  appearance  of 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

which  depends  on  quality  of  wool  and  finish  rather  than 
weave. 

Serge  is  a  compact,  closely  woven  twilled  material.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  serviceable  of  all  woolen  goods,  princi- 
pally because  it  cannot  be  easily  affected  by  either  damp- 
ness or  dust. 

Twill,  a  more  or  less  raised  cord  running  in  a  diagonal 
direction  from  left  to  right.  Any  fabric  with  this  weave 
may  be  called  a  twill. 

Plaids.  These  fabrics  derived  their  name  originally 
from  the  tartans  worn  by  the  Scotch  Highlanders;  the 
different  clans  having  each  its  peculiar  tartan  or  plaid. 

Shepherd's  plaids,  always  black  and  white. 

Other  Materials  Used  in  Clothing. 

While  silk,  wool,  cotton,  and  linen  are  the  principal 
textiles  used  in  manufacturing  material  for  clothing,  there 
are  a  number  of  other  fibres,  among  which  are  jute  and 
hemp,  which  may  either  be  woven  separately  or  combined 
with  one  of  the  above.  Jute  and  hemp  are  used  in  manu- 
facturing only  very  rough  textiles. 

Out  of  goat's  and  camel's  hair  are  manufactured  some 
of  the  finest  and  softest  woolen  goods.  China  grass,  when 
woven,  has  much  the  appearance  of  silk. 

Horsehair  is  used  in  making  haircloth  for  interlinings 
and  upholstering  purposes.  Whalebone  is  employed  for 
stiffening  the  seams  of  dresses. 

Paper  is  used  extensively  in  Japan.  Asbestos  is  used 
where  a  fireproof  article  is  needed.  Gold,  silver,  and  cop- 
per are  sometimes  combined  with  other  fibres  to  increase 
(12)  177 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

their  value,  and  occasionally  are  woven  independently  as 
in  Cloth  of  Gold.     Skins  supply  furs  and  leather. 

A  Venetian  manufacturer  makes  a  dress  fabric  out  of 
spun  glass,  while  a  peculiar  kind  of  stone  found  in  the 
depths  of  Siberia  is  drawn  into  filaments  by  a  patented 
process  and  then  woven.  Both  of  these  new  materials  are 
said  to  take  the  most  brilliant  and  delicate  dyes  and  to 
have  a  lustre  as  fine  as  silk. 

178 


XXVII.     TOOLS  USED  IN  SEWING. 

Pins. 

It  is  most  likely  that  thorns  or  skewers  were  originally 
used  as  fasteners  for  garments.  Following  these,  different 
appliances  were  used,  such  as  hooks,  buckles,  and  laces, 
many  of  which  we  may  suppose  were  intended  for  orna- 
ments as  well  as  use. 

The  pins  that  have  been  found  in  Egyptian  and  Scandi- 
navian tombs  are  made  of  gold,  silver,  brass,  bronze,  and 
iron,  many  of  them  twelve  inches  in  length,  weighing  eight 
or  ten  ounces,  and  having  artistically  cut  heads  of  precious 
stones,  metal,  ivory,  or  wood. 

Pins  were  first  manufactured  in  England,  in  the  six- 
teenth century.  Iron  wire  was  cut  the  proper  length  and 
filed  to  a  point  at  one  end  and  twisted  into  a  head  at 
the  other.  This  was  a  slow  process,  four  or  five  hundred 
pins  being  a  good  day's  work. 

The  manufacture  of  cheap  and  useful  pins  was  intro- 
duced in  England,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury, and  Birmingham  soon  became  the  centre  of  this  in- 
dustry. In  the  United  States,  pins  were  not  successfully 
manufactured  until  after  the  invention  of  the  Howe  ma- 
chine, in  1832.  The  English  pin  is  still  considered  the 
best  in  the  market. 

179 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

The  present  process  consists,  first,  in  pulling  and  cut- 
ting the  wire,  which  it  does  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  pin  lengths  or  blanks  per  minute.  The  machine  then 
seizes  each  one  of  the  blanks,  and  a  little  concave-faced 
hammer  hits  the  head  of  each  one  three  taps  and  "upsets" 
it  to  a  head,  while  it  grips  it  into  a  countersunk  hole  be- 
tween its  teeth  and  lays  it  sideways  in  a  groove;  there 
levers  and  springs  point  the  blanks  with  great  rapidity. 
When  finished,  they  fall  into  a  box  that  is  ready  to  re- 
ceive them. 

They  are  then  polished  and  passed  through  a  machine 
which  discards  all  defective  ones.  After  being  assorted 
and  stuck  into  a  paper  which  has  been  prepared  for  them, 
they  are  ready  for  the  market. 

It  is  said  that  Spanish  pin  manufacturers  were  allowed 
to  sell  them  only  during  the  Christmas  holidays ;  it  there- 
fore became  the  custom  for  gentlemen  to  give  the  ladies  of 
the  family  money  with  which  to  buy  pins  at  Christmastide. 
From  this  custom,  the  term  pin  money  originated. 

Needles. 

Needles  are  of  various  sorts  and  kinds ;  namely,  the  sur- 
geon's needle,  the  upholsterer's  needle,  the  cook's  needle, 
the  glover's  needle  (three-cornered  at  the  point),  the  sail- 
maker's  needle  (which  has  to  be  pushed  through  with  a 
steel  or  leather  palm),  the  broommaker's  needle,  the 
weaver's  needle  (which  has  an  open  eye  in  the  hook  for 
picking  up  broken  threads),  the  milliner's  needle,  the 
darning  needle  (a  needle  with  a  long  eye,  to  be  obtained 
in  different  sizes),  the  zephyr  needle  (which  has  a  long  eye 

'l80 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

and  either  sharp  or  blunt  point),  the  bodkin  or  tape  needle, 
and  the  ordinary  sewing  needle,  which  comes  under  the 
head  of  "sharps/'  "betweens,"  and  "ground  downs,"  and 
ranges  in  size  from  ~No.  1,  the  largest,  to  No.  12,  the 
smallest. 

The  common  sewing  needle  is  manufactured  almost  ex- 
clusively in  England,  and  requires  cast  steel  wire  of  supe- 
rior quality,  which  must  be  cut  into  lengths  sufficient  to 
make  two  at  a  time. 

These  pieces  are  straightened  upon  an  iron  table  by 
means  of  an  instrument  called  a  rubbing  knife. 

The  wire  is  then  pointed  at  each  end  by  automatic  ma- 
chinery provided  with  a  fan  and  shaft  to  carry  away  the 
steel  and  grindstone  dust. 

It  is  next  stamped  and  grooved,  preparatory  for  eying; 
the  lengths  are  then  divided  in  two,  and  after  burnishing 
the  eye,  they  are  hardened  by  being  heated  in  an  oven,  and 
subsequently  cooled  by  being  plunged  into  oil. 

This  rapid  cooling  of  the  steel  makes  it  as  brittle  as 
glass,  and  in  order  to  reduce  it  to  a  perfect  state  of  elastic- 
ity, it  has  to  be  again  raised  to  about  six  hundred  degrees 
and  then  allowed  to  cool  gradually. 

The  process  of  scouring  the  needles  takes  about  a  week. 
They  are  mixed  with  oil,  soft  soap,  and  emery  powder, 
wrapped  in  loose  canvas,  and  placed  in  a  kind  of  mangle 
worked  by  machinery.  The  scouring  process  finished, 
they  are  washed  in  hot  water. and  dried  in  sawdust. 

Finally,  they  are  sorted,  wrapped,  and  labeled.  For 
wrapping,  purple  paper,  chemically  prepared,  is  used,  be- 
cause it  is  supposed  to  prevent  rusting. 

18X 


Home  and  School  Sewing. 

Scissors. 

Scissors  are  principally  inado  by  hand,  but  the  process 
of  making  depends  somewhat  upon  the  size.  Those  over 
six  inches  in  length  are  called  shears. 

Scissors  are  first  shaped  from  a  bar  of  flat  steel ;  the  end 
for  the  handle  or  bow  is  flattened  and  punched  with  a  small 
round  hole,  which  is  gradually  opened  upon  the  anvil. 

The  blade  and  joint  of  the  scissors  are  then  made  with 
hammer  and  punch. 

After  softening,  the  shank  and  bow  are  improved  by 
filing.  The  joint  is  squared,  and  the  hole  bored  and  fitted 
for  the  rivet. 

The  blades  are  then  ground,  smooth-filed,  burnished, 
matched  in  pairs,  and  a  temporary  screw  put  in  and  made 
to  walk  and  talk  well,  as  it  is  called. 

The  blades  are  then  bound  together  with  wire,  the  rivet 
removed,  and  they  are  hardened  and  tempered.  The  wire 
is  then  removed,  and  the  blades  are  ground  into  shape  and 
fitted  together  ready  for  use. 

Thimbles. 

The  first  thimble  seen  in  England  was  made  in  London, 
about  two  hundred  years  ago,  by  a  metal  worker  named 
John  Lofting.  He  is  said  to  have  acquired  a  large  fortune 
in  the  manufacture  of  this  new  accessory  to  the  needle 
worker's  art.  This  tool  was  at  first  called  a  thumb  bell, 
and  was  worn  on  the  thumb. 

These  early  thimbles  were  made  of  either  iron  or  brass, 
and  many  specimens  of  them  are  preserved  as  curiosi- 
ties. The  best  thimbles  used  at  the  present  time  are  made 

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Home  and  School  Sewing. 

in  France.  In  China,  the  ladies  of  high  class  use  very 
dainty  thimbles.  Some  are  carved  from  immense  pearls, 
with  bands  of  fine  gold,  on  which  are  engraved  all  sorts 
of  fantastic  things,  the  etching  of  which  serves  for  catching 
the  eye  of  the  needle. 

The  Queen  of  Siam  has  a  thimble  presented  to  her  by 
her  royal  husband.  It  is  made  of  gold  in  the  form  of  a 
lotus  bud,  the  lotus  being  the  royal  flower,  and  is  thickly 
studded  with  diamonds,  so  arranged  as  to  form  her  name 
and  the  date  of  her  marriage.  This  gift  was  equal  to  an 
order  that  the  ladies  of  Siam  should  use  thimbles. 

The  shape  of  the  thimble  has  changed  very  little.  The 
majority  of  sewers  prefer  what  is  generally  known  as  the 
closed  thimble ;  while  tailors  and  those  who  sew  very  stead- 
ily prefer  the  open  thimble  (that  is,  one  without  a  top)  ; 
and  sailors'  thimbles  take  the  form  of  a  broad  ring,  with 
indentations  on  one  side,  and  worn,  as  was  the  custom  in 
primitive  times,  on  the  thumb. 

Gold,  silver,  iron,  steel,  pearl,  celluloid,  and  sometimes 
glass  are  utilized  in  making  thimbles  at  the  present  time. 
In  manufacturing  thimbles,  the  metal  is  rolled  out  into 
thin  sheets  and  cut  into  round  disks.  These  are  put  upon 
a  die  of  the  desired  size  and  pressed  into  shape.  The  edge 
is  then  rolled  up  or  otherwise  finished,  and  the  semi- 
perforations,  intended  to  hold  the  eye  of  the  needle  firmly, 
are  made  upon  the  top  and  part  way  down  the  sides.  They 
are  then  tempered  and  polished  in  very  much  the  same 
manner  as  needles. 

Thimbles  made  of  celluloid  are  molded, 

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